New Year - Same Walsall? - End to the bad run ?

By 4two
December 31 2002

The Saddlers need to pick up some points to avoid being dragged in the scrap for survival. It was widely thought that a good Xmas period would see us put more light between us and the bottom three, but a run of successive defeats has got fans worrying.

Forest (5th) Vs Walsall (19th)
Competition : Nationwide League Division 1. Date & Time: 1.12.03 - 3.00pm
Tickets: Its a fiver in for one and all. Have no idea how well the tickets are selling. It could well be a decent following for the Saddlers though, if people decide to make the short trip north. Expect a full house at the City Ground.
	Directions (Road): Leave the M1 at Junction 24 and take the A453 towards Nottingham. Then take the A52 East towards Grantham and then onto the A6011 into Nottingham. The ground is situated by the A6011. Get their early to get as close to the ground as you can. You can get a pint in the ground. . (FootballGroundGuide)
News: Forest were beaten by Portsmouth last time out and will want to bounce back. Veteran defender Des Walker limped out of the televised clash on the 28th, and he is likely to miss the new years day clash. Other than that Forest are expected to be at full strength.
News: Hay and Barras are both out, leaving Pollet and Carbon battling for a spot alongside Roper. Jim Walker is likely to return in place of Darren Ward who did him self no favors against Ipswich. Junior may return in place of Ainsworth if Lee goes 4-4-2.
one2watch: Darren Wrack is form man in the Saddlers line up. He has started scoring goals in recent weeks, and his ability to play on either flank or at full back has meant that he has become the new "Chris Marsh" plugging gaps left right and center. 2 goals against the Tractor boys will have really lifted Darren's confidence.
one2watch: David Johnstone is Division One's leading scorer with 21 goals. You wont miss him on New Years day, running around with his bleached hair. His pace and awareness around the box are a real threat to defenders, and he is a proven scorer at this level with Ipswich and Crewe. He was never given the opportunity to test himself at the highest level while with Ipswich, but he hopes he will get the chance with forest.
Nottingham Forest Walsall Ven Versus Pos H 1 - 2 Portsmouth L 1 A 0 - 2 Sheff Wed L 24 H 2 - 0 Reading W 6 A 0 - 1 Bradford L 20 A 0 - 1 Burnley L 9 H 2 - 1 Ipswich W 17 H 3 - 2 Brighton W 24 A 1 - 2 Wolves L 6 H 3 - 0 Bradford W 19 A 0 - 0 Palace D 12 Ven Versus Pos A 2 - 3 Ipswich L 16 H 0 - 1 Sheff United L 5 A 1 - 2 Norwich L 4 H 2 - 0 Wimbledon W 11 H 3 - 1 Grimsby W 21 A 2 - 3 Portsmouth L 1 H 1 - 0 Gillingham W 15 A 2 - 3 Wimbledon L 15 A 0 - 2 Leicester L 2 H 4 - 2 Stoke W 21 -0 vs Sheff Wed Biggest Home Win 4-2 vs Stoke 3-0 vs Grimsby Biggest Away Win 3-0 vs Millwall 1-2 vs Portsmouth Heaviest Home Defeat 0-2 vs Ipswich, Reading 0-2 vs Portsmouth, Sheff Wed Heaviest Away Defeat 1-3 vs Wolves 20 Players Used 24 10 Clean Sheets 6 8 Failed To Score 7 2 Best Winning Sequence 2 11 Best Unbeaten Sequence 3 2 Worst Losing Sequence 4 3 Worst Sequence With No Win 5 David Johnson 9 Junior 25 19 Goals 8 26 Games Played 19 0.73 Goals Per Game Average 0.42 13 Total Games Scored In 7 8 Games Scored 1 Goals 6 4 Games Scored 2 Goals 1 1 Games Scored 3 Goals 0 5 Scoring Run (games) 2 3 Dry Spell (games) 6
Last Time 1-2 2/10/02 - Worthington Cup R2
The Verdict: We are regarded as Forests bogey side. We knocked them out the cup, and beat them at home early on in the season. It was the Worthington Cup game which saw the Jorge and Junior partnership first develop, and I wouldn't bet against it doing the business tomorrow. We have witnessed a string of brave away performances, and our luck has to change some time soon. if Lee goes back to 4-4-2, with the JJ strike force reunited, we may turn a few heads tomorrow come ten to five.
PREDICTION: Forest 0-2 Walsall
What do Forest Say?