Under-fire Walsall manager Mat Sadler will be desperate to spark a revival when his faltering side welcome Harrogate Town to the Bescot Stadium for round 43 of League Two.
The pressure on Sadler has reached fever pitch, with large sections of the fanbase calling for his dismissal following yet another abysmal showing last time out.
Match preview
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Twelve points clear of the chasing pack back in January, few would have predicted such a dramatic collapse from the Saddlers, whose push for automatic promotion is now hanging by a thread.
Last Saturday's 2-0 loss to Barrow marked their second defeat on the bounce, leaving Walsall without a win in their last 10 outings and with only three victories from 19 games since the turn of the year.
That torrid run has seen the once-leaders drop to third in the standings on 72 points, holding on to a top-three spot by virtue of goal difference alone, while they now sit one point behind Bradford City and trail Port Vale at the summit by four.
Despite the growing unrest among supporters, Sadler remains upbeat, urging his players to draw a line under recent disappointments and channel their focus into turning things around, with a response targeted as early as Friday night.
Whether this fixture proves timely for the West Midlands outfit remains to be seen, but they can certainly take encouragement from their recent successes against Harrogate, having recorded back-to-back 2-0 victories in the last two meetings, including the reverse encounter.
At home this season, the Saddlers have amassed 41 points from a possible 63 in 21 League Two matches, although they are without a win in their last four games at the Bescot since March 1.
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Harrogate arrive in the West Midlands with a clear objective, knowing that three points could be enough to all but confirm their survival, with Simon Weaver's men currently 20th on 46 points and holding a nine-point cushion above the drop zone.
The Sulphurites will take heart from their most recent visit to this ground, where they emerged 1-0 victors, offering further belief that they can trouble their under-fire hosts once more.
Harrogate head into this clash on the back of a spirited 2-2 comeback draw against Grimsby Town, having fought back from two goals down in the dying minutes to rescue a point.
Weaver's side looked destined for a second straight loss after conceding twice in the first half, but Ellis Taylor's 85th-minute strike set the tone for a dramatic finish, with Danny Rose's own goal moments later completing the fightback.
However, the result did little to disguise their poor form, as Harrogate have only managed five wins from their last 19 league games since January and continue to struggle on their travels.
Their away record is particularly concerning, with an eight-game winless run on the road and no goals scored in each of the last six outings, a glaring issue Weaver must address heading into Friday's contest.
Team News
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Walsall will once again be without Priestley Farquharson and Jack Earing through injury, though Josh Gordon has returned to the training pitch and could be an option from the bench.
Harry Williams has missed the last five matches amid speculation that he has signed a pre-contract agreement with a Scottish club.
Sadler is expected to ring the changes after his side dropped from the League Two summit with just two wins in their last 16 matches.
For the visitors, Matty Foulds, George Thomson and Josh Falkingham remain sidelined through injury, with Tom Hill, James Moorby and Levi Sutton also still working their way back to fitness.
Taylor is expected to retain his place in midfield following his influential display last time out, as he looks to build on his tally of five goals for the campaign.
Walsall possible starting lineup:
Simkin; Allen, Okagbue, McEntee; Gordon, Stirk, Lakin, Jellis, Barrett; Amantchi, Harrison
Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Belshaw; Burrell, O'Connor, Moon, Sims; Fox, Morris, Taylor; Cursons; Muldoon, March
We say: Walsall 1-0 Harrogate Town
Although Walsall are enduring a rough patch, the visit of a Harrogate side that has flattered to deceive on the road should provide the perfect opportunity for the hosts to spark their push for automatic promotion back into life.
Each of the last four meetings between these two has ended with only one side finding the net, and with the visitors failing to score in their last six away matches, a narrow win for the Saddlers looks the most likely outcome.
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Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
