FA Cup: Alfreton v Walsall - Southampton carrot is dangled as Saddlers try again
Weather permitting, Alfreton Town and Walsall will face off in the FA Cup second round tonight after Saturday’s controversial postponement.
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And the reward for progression is a trip to Championship high-fliers Southampton in round three, which could be incentive enough for Mat Sadler to go strong with his team selection again.
Walsall’s team had some eye-catching inclusions and omissions, most notably Danny Johnson who was not in the matchday squad.
Sadler revealed that Johnson’s absence was due to a shoulder injury he picked up in the Barrow game, although he remains hopeful that he will only be a short-term miss.
He was replaced by Ross Tierney, while Jackson Smith would have taken Owen Evans’ place in goal after the Welshman sustained a calf injury against Barrow, and Oisin McEntee came into the side in place of Brandon Comley.
The match was scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One, with former Alfreton player-manager Chris Wilder, Walsall legend Jimmy Walker and Stephen Warnock, an FA Cup winner with Liverpool, all part of the punditry team.
And with kick-off fast approaching, and the stands at the Impact Arena close to full, referee Sam Allison made the decision to call the game off less than 10 minutes before kick-off.
“It was too hard in too many areas of the pitch, it seemed like an ice rink in some areas,” Allison said. “Player safety has to be the priority – it was too dangerous and too unsafe.” The result is a rearranged fixture this evening, leaving Saddlers with less time to prepare for Saturday’s trip to Notts County in League Two.
And it leaves Sadler with a decision to make on whether or not he risks players such as Freddie Draper, Tom Knowles and Liam Gordon, given the imminent fixture pile-up.
Sadler also revealed to the BBC that the team’s Christmas do would have to be rearranged as a result of the postponement, as well as acknowledging the financial implications on the Saddlers fans that travelled to Derbyshire in good numbers.