Walsall away, game 29

Well, despite my confidence that our transfer business was done before yesterday's deadline, we managed a handful, of albeit, predictable loans. David Mooney's was extended until the end of the season as Reading decided they can fight their relegation battle without him. Luke Holden was loaned out to Wrexham until next season and the mild surprise was a swoop for Akpo Sodje which looked out-of-the-question with Sheffield Wednesday considering all of their options under new manager Alan Irvine as they too try to avoid the drop. We probably have Luke Varney to thank for Irvine making his mind up over Akpo. Varney returned to the Wednesday fold on Saturday and scored both goals as they beat Plymouth to move out of the basement.


I am particularly pleased about the Akpo signing because he may again give us the lift he did when he first joined - and we need a lift! The deal until the end of the window should also give him a chance to focus his game, and with his contract at Wednesday expiring in the Summer, he will be playing for his future.


So, we travel back to Walsall this evening to play a rearranged match which promises to be something of a banana skin. Walsall earned a good point at the Priestfield Stadium on Saturday and will be determined not to lose a second home game in succession after Norwich turned them over 2-1. Our boys have something to prove and will still have the boos ringing in their ears after Saturday's disappointing home draw against Tranmere which looks having been enough to derail our automatic challenge for promotion on the back of the loss to the O's.


There are only four catch-up games this evening and the only other top side in action are Colchester who will be desperate to beat Carlisle in Essex to close the gap on us. If we can pick up three points, we will go within two of Leeds and five of Norwich, although Leeds will have two games in hand. In the circumstances, nothing less than a win will do. I am not confident that we will get the win. We will need to score first in my opinion and I suspect we may revert to 4-5-1 this evening (despite the signing of Akpo), and may be content to soak up first-half pressure with the game plan of trying to push on in the second-half.


It's probably time we lowered our sights and just concentrated on collecting the points we need to ensure we qualify for the play-offs, where I pray we avoid having to play Millwall. Two emotionally charged legs against them would probably do for us and the prospects of facing them at Wembley doesn't bear thinking about even if the prize would be the most amazing local bragging rights in history.


So, I am swithering between a home win and a draw this evening. Maybe the disappointment of the last few home matches will be enough to ensure we avoid defeat.  A 1-1 draw it is then.