Walsall hoping for a bigger gate

Walsall boss Chris Hutchings hopes the Banks's Stadium's ailing attendances can be boosted by the absence of the West Midlands' big four from action.

With neither of the top two tiers in action and internationals now being played on Friday nights rather than Saturday afternoons, the Saddlers have the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off to themselves tomorrow when Colchester come to town.

Hutchings' men played in front of just 1,793 in Tuesday night's Johnstone's Paint Trophy defeat to Chesterfield – the lowest in the Banks's Stadium's 20-year history.

The manager insists attendances in the competition have been disappointing even at the biggest clubs in the lower divisions but, with the Saddlers the only professional team on the patch in action tomorrow, is hoping for a much-improved turnout.

He said: "The fans' support is always important at any football club. There are no games this weekend in the Premier League with the international break so it would be nice if some came along.

"I think that's the case in all Johnstone's Paint Trophy games. I was at Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night, it's a big club and there weren't many there.

"I think if you look at the attendances in this competition in the early rounds, I don't think it's well supported at all for whatever reason."

The Saddlers boss is eager for his team to record their first clean sheet of the campaign, but admits he would always settle for them conceding if they still deliver three points.

He said: "If we won every game 2-1 we wouldn't be too worried about keeping a clean sheet. But it's important to have something to build on.

"Arsenal were a great advocate of that when George Graham was there – it was all about clean sheets because if you do that you're always going to get something out of the game."