Walsall welcome Gillingham to the Bescot Stadium on Saturday, where the visitors will look to get back to winning ways. The Gills have been defeated in two of the last three meetings between the clubs and they have not netted in those three games either.
Walsall
The Saddlers have struggled for consistency this season and they are currently placed in 17th after four wins, three draws and five defeats. Mat Sadler’s side have only lost one home game this season, which will provide them with a boost of confidence ahead of the weekend. Their main issue in recent weeks has been in front of goal and they have failed to net in their two latest matches.
Last time out in League Two, Walsall suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat on the road to Sutton. The visitors opened the scoring in the 6th minute and doubled their lead shortly after. The horrific start got even worse, with Joe Riley scoring an own goal before the half hour mark. Sutton added the fourth before the break and Walsall didn’t recover from the first half.
Gillingham
The Gills have mastered the ability to win games by the finest of margins this season and the fact that they won their opening four games 1-0 serves as evidence. All of Gillingham’s seven victories have been by just one goal and they average less than one goal scored per game this season. Keith Millen’s side are in third place with 22 points and they are yet to draw on the road, winning 50% of their six matches.
Gillingham faced MK Dons last weekend, where they won 2-1 in an extremely entertaining match. The game saw 42 shots from both sides combined. Macauley Bonne opened the scoring just before the hour mark and Scott Malone doubled their advantage just before the hour mark. Despite conceding late, the Gills showed the defensive solidity that we’ve witnessed all season and claimed the three points.
Verdict?
The game will be close, but it is difficult to see the visitors losing. As mentioned, Gillingham are yet to draw a game on the road and the usual 1-0 scoreline may return.
The final prediction is Walsall 0-1 Gillingham.
