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Easter Monday brings Walsall down to the Valley for our second game in 3 days. Yesterday the Charlton players showed great character winning 1-0 with 9 men over an Oldham side who also had a player sent off. Yann Kermogant got the goal and it was his 10th of the season. Walsall won a massive game at the bottom on saturday beating Chesterfield 3-2 with two goals from Ledesma and one from Mantom.
When these two sides met earlier in the season at the Banks Stadium they played out a 1-1 draw with both goals coming in the first half. Jon Macken put the home side ahead before Yann Kermogant met a Hogan Ephraim cross to score a bullet like header. The hosts were reduced to 10 men when they had Sadler sent off in added on time in the second half, unfortunately the table toppers Charlton found it too late to capitalise on this one man advantage.
Walsall currently occupy 18th place in the league and having only 46 points means they are only a mere 4 points above the relegation places. However their form has picked up lately and they are unbeaten in their last 5 winning 2 and drawing 3. Walsall's man danger man comes from midfield and in the form of Emmanuel Ledesma. He left Walsall at the end of last season but has since rejoined signing a deal until the end of the season. He is in great form at the minute and has scored 4 goals in the 5 games since he returned.
Charlton's Home Record - W12 D6 L2 GF40 GA17 PTS42
Walsall's Away Record - W2 D11 L7 GF21 GA25 PTS17
Top Three Goalscorers-
Charlton Athletic - Walsall
21 Wright-Phillips - 8 Macken
13 Jackson - 7 Nicholls
9 Kermorgant - 5 Butler
Previous Meetings
Walsall 1-1 Charlton Athletic 10/12/2011
Walsall 2-0 Charlton Athletic 30/04/2011
Charlton Athletic 0-1 Walsall 12/12/2010
Walsall 1-1 Charlton Athletic 02/02/2010
Charlton Athletic 2-0 Walsall 22/08/2009
Looking at the previous results in look like Walsall could well be our bogey in this league, lets hope Chris Powell and the boys are well prepared after yesterdays mammoth effort.
My team to play against Walsall-
Hamer
Solly Morrison Cort Wiggins
Green Stephens Pritchard Jackson
Wright-Phillips Hayes
Subs
Sullivan
Taylor
Hughes
N'guessan
Kermogant
With all these suspensions in midfield i've gone for a Stephens, Pritchard combination as Pritchard can do the defensive work whilst Stephens can be devastating going forward when he's on form. Wright-Phillips was rested against Oldham so he will probably return and I've brought in Hayes as i believe Kermogant needs a rest and needs to be 100% for our next away game at Carlisle.
Even though our recent record against Walsall isn't too good I still expect us to win this game 2 or maybe 3-0 and take us that one step closer to promotion.

