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League Two | Gameweek 46
May 7, 2022 at 3pm UK
Banks's Stadium
ST

Walsall
0 - 3
Swindon


Daniels (45+2'), Monthe (73')
FT(HT: 0-3)
McKirdy (3'), Payne (25', 45+3' pen.)
Williams (54'), Reed (70')

Preview: Walsall vs. Swindon Town - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Walsall vs. Swindon Town - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Saturday's League Two clash between Walsall and Swindon Town, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

With automatic promotion to League One still a possibility, Swindon Town's final game of the 2021-22 League Two season sees them travel to Walsall on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the hosts are sitting comfortably in 15th and will only be playing for personal pride on matchday 46.


Match preview

A fourth consecutive season in the fourth tier beckons for Walsall, who will definitely improve on last season's 19th-placed finish in League Two, but it has been something of a tough ask to get there.

Michael Flynn's side fought back from a goal down to go 2-1 up in their battle with Colchester United on the penultimate matchday, but Freddie Sears's second of the game ultimately forced a share of the spoils at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Losing just one of their last four encounters in the division leaves Walsall sitting pretty in 15th spot and with the chance to rise above Bradford City into 14th on the final day, but they could also drop as low as 18th if results do not go their way this weekend.

Walsall may have failed time and time again on the road in recent memory, but Flynn's side welcome Swindon Town to Banks's Stadium having won six of their last seven home games in League Two, so the visitors cannot afford to make the journey feeling overly confident about confirming their playoff status.

Swindon's playoff destiny remains in their own hands ahead of the final day, but incredibly, Ben Garner's side could end the day having secured a top-three spot and automatic promotion or consigned to another season of fourth-tier football after dropping out of the top six.

A trio of consecutive wins over Hartlepool United, Forest Green Rovers and Barrow has done wonders for Swindon's promotion push in recent weeks, with Louis Reed scoring the winning goal against the latter barely two minutes after Matty Platt's equaliser.

As things stand, Swindon are clinging onto sixth spot in the table and could clinch third with a remarkable set of circumstances, but they would need Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers to lose for that to happen, as well as hoping Mansfield Town and Port Vale fail to beat already-promoted Forest Green and Exeter City respectively.

Looking down the table, Sutton United and Tranmere Rovers could both still pip Swindon to a spot in the playoffs, so Garner's side cannot afford a single lapse in concentration this weekend if they are to have a chance of an immediate return to League One.

The visitors' tally of 40 points on the road is the best in League Two this season, though, and they put five unanswered goals past Walsall in February's encounter, so the form book certainly tips the balance in their favour ahead of a pivotal 90 minutes.

Walsall League Two form:
  • L
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • D

Swindon Town League Two form:
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W


Team News

Walsall's point against Colchester came in the absence of captain Joss Labadie, who could now be on the sidelines until 2023 after suffering a severe knee injury against Port Vale last month.

Flynn is also without Conor Wilkinson with a similarly serious knee problem, and ex-Republic of Ireland left-back Stephen Ward retired from the game a couple of weeks ago.

With Swindon surely up for the fight this weekend, Flynn will still be expected to put a strong team out for the final day, with Liam Kinsella potentially preferred to Sam Perry.

As for the visitors, Garner will have Ellis Iandolo back in the fold following a one-match ban, and he may take up his left-back spot, demoting Akin Odimayo to the bench in the process.

Iandolo is more than capable of doing a job in the midfield, but Garner will be loath to disrupt the harmony too much, while Jojo Wollacott was back on the bench against Barrow.

Rob Hunt and Joe Tomlinson will watch this one from the medical room, and Garner could keep his faith in Lewis Ward as the last line of defence in spite of Wollacott's return.

Walsall possible starting lineup:
Rushworth; White, Daniels, Menayese, Monthe, Shade; Kinsella, Osadebe; Earing; Miller, Kiernan

Swindon Town possible starting lineup:
Ward; Egbo, Baudry, Conroy, Iandolo; Williams, Reed, Payne; McKirdy, Davison, Barry


We say: Walsall 1-3 Swindon Town

Walsall are capable of making this a tricky run to the finish line for Swindon, but they were taught a footballing lesson by Garner's side a few months ago and have much less on the line than their visitors.

In contrast, Swindon have hit a rich vein of form at the right time, and with no side in the league picking up more points on the road, we expect the Robins to book their spot in the playoffs courtesy of a convincing triumph.




No Data Analysis info

Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Port Vale149322315830
2Walsall1382326141226
3Notts County1475222121026
4Doncaster RoversDoncaster148242016426
5Crewe AlexandraCrewe137331612424
6Chesterfield1457228151322
7Bradford CityBradford146442015522
8MK Dons146352116521
9BarrowBarrow146351511421
10Grimsby Town147071825-721
11Gillingham146261512320
12Salford City145541416-220
13AFC Wimbledon11614189919
14Newport CountyNewport146171824-619
15Fleetwood TownFleetwood134631915418
16Cheltenham TownCheltenham145271821-317
17Harrogate TownHarrogate144371119-815
18Bromley133551517-214
19Tranmere RoversTranmere13355816-814
20Accrington StanleyAccrington133461522-713
21Colchester UnitedColchester132651620-412
22Swindon TownSwindon142661520-512
23Carlisle UnitedCarlisle1422101228-168
24Morecambe141491225-137
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