Walsall v Salford - Match preview
Mat Sadler has urged his players to banish the memories of Good Friday with an immediate response against Salford City at Bescot this afternoon.
Walsall were condemned to their heaviest defeat of the season as MK Dons cruised to a 5-0 victory in Buckinghamshire.
That result saw Walsall drop one-place into 11th but still just four points adrift of the League Two play-off spots.
And Sadler wants to dig up seeds of doubt before they can grow with an immediate reaction against Salford.
He said: “Most importantly, we’re a group that wants to respond with each other. We’re a group that knows how far we’ve come together and we’re not content now with letting that go.
“Did we get the outcome we wanted today (against MK Dons)? No, of course we didn’t.
“Are we happy to let that be what we’re judged on? Certainly not, so it’s good to have a game on Monday.”
The Saddlers came from behind to beat Salford in the reverse fixture at the Peninsula Stadium in September, although Karl Robinson has reversed the Ammies’ fortunes since replacing Neil Wood just after Christmas.
Salford have lost just four times since the turn of the year to help steer themselves away from relegation trouble, although they did succumb to a 2-1 defeat against strugglers Sutton United on Good Friday.
Walsall will play four of their final seven fixtures at Bescot, a place where they’ve registered two thirds of their league wins.
They boast the seventh best home record in the division this season and Sadler is determined to make home advantage count again as they seek to put an end to their four-match winless run.
Sadler continued: “We love playing at home. We’re right up there in terms of home form this season so it’s a game that we look forward to.
“We look forward to it mostly because it’s the next game but also because we want to banish the feeling from MK Dons.
“Our job now is to do that quickly. They’re a good team and Karl Robinson has changed things around and done very well since he’s come in.
“We’ve got seven games left. We’ve put ourselves in a position and I know from my team that they respond really well. They always have done and we will continue to do so.”
Jack Earing will be unavailable due to a hamstring injury. The midfielder missed the defeat on Good Friday and is expected to be absent for at least two weeks.
Donervon Daniels returned from injury on a difficult afternoon at Stadium MK, while Priestley Farquharson, Aramide Oteh and Jamille Matt were restored to the bench.
Elsewhere, Oisin McEntee (hamstring), Harry Williams (hip flexor) and Tom Knowles (ankle) remain unavailable.
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