Walsall v Stockport - Match preview

Their last home game against Crewe on December 19 was postponed, leaving home fans waiting to see for their own eyes some of the recent impressive displays they have heard about away from home.

In the last two trips, they won comfortably at Doncaster Rovers and ultimately deserved the win at Swindon Town on Boxing Day in a game which could have seen them have to settle for a point until Manny Monthe’s intervention in injury time.

It was another impressive performance though from Michael Flynn’s men, who hadn’t played since December 2 and could be forgiven for a slow start in a scrappy game.

In the interim period where Saddlers’ had two games postponed, there was the small matter of the club taking on the freehold of Bescot Stadium which arguably cheered the fans up even more than the three festive points gained at Swindon, and Flynn said the feel-good-factor was firmly in place on and off the field.

He said: “I’ve said it before but the supporters away from home have been amazing and maybe now it’s time to show the home fans what we are about and what we can do.

“We have had the takeover of the ground so the club now owns it, some great results and a good run which is stretching to seven games unbeaten in the league so things are bouncing at the moment.

“But it is important we don’t take that for granted, things can change in football quite quickly and if you don’t stay switched on and aware of that you could be heading for a fall, so we need to build on the three points at Swindon and those at Doncaster with two good performances in the two home games coming up.”

Meanwhile, Flynn revealed the players had been keeping in shape during the period of games being called off by training at Wolverhampton Boxing Club for a different kind of work out.

The visit was the second the Saddlers had made to Wolverhampton this season with Saddlers club secretary Dan Mole helping set up the sessions. Mole knows Richie Carter through his work with boxing company BCB Promotions, who manage the club’s fighters.

Players were put through their paces by head coach Carter and his team in circuit and pad work sessions used by the club’s own fighters.

Flynn said: “It was a different type of training – a chance to challenge the boys, mentally, and showing them a different outlook to training and what boxers go through.

“It gave the players a chance refresh and try something a bit different to normal.”

“Sometimes when you have a group who have gone Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday you have to mix it up a bit, just so they don’t get into a bored state of mind.”.