Swindon a fixture of mixed emotions for Walsall

Feb 21 2008

WALSALL'S fans will travel to Swindon on Saturday hoping to bank some more happy memories at the County Ground - a venue from which their last two visits have touched both ends of the pleasure scale.

The Saddlers' visit last season will live long in the memory for all the right reasons.

With 14,731 packed into the ground, everybody ended happy as a 1-1 draw assured Swindon's promotion and Walsall, already promoted, the League Two title.

An historic day for the Saddlers was rounded off in the most spectacular fashion by a stunning 25-yard goal by Dean Keates, his last kick for the club, it transpired.

The jubilant scenes in the sunshine at the final whistle contrasted totally to the misery at the end of the Saddlers' previous visit - 16 months earlier on January 31, 2006.

On that wintry Tuesday night, only 4,597 were in the ground to see two poor sides hurtling towards relegation.

A Walsall line-up including Michael Leary, Mads Timm and Kevin James was beaten 1-0 by one of the few teams below them in the League One table - and Paul Merson's fate as manager was sealed.

A wretched night was summed up by the sight of Timm, hardly a player for the trenches, excecuting a double step-over (quite pointlessly, with no defender near him) before stroking a pass straight out for a Swindon throw-in.

Merson remained manager for one more match but, after a 5-0 defeat at Brentford, was on his way. Agony at Swindon.

Then, last May, ecstasy. What will this Saturday bring?