Home test for Jimmy Mullen and Walsall

Aug 15 2008 By Roger Clarke

WALSALL’S season starts in earnest tomorrow with their first home league game at Banks’s Stadium when they take on relegated Scunthorpe.

A draw at Yeovil was followed by Tuesday’s 2-1 Carling cup defeat against Darlington where the dismissal of Michael Ricketts left the Saddlers facing three matches without their top striker.

Manager Jimmy Mullen said: “The loss of Michael is a blow but we have Troy Deeney and I have the option of playing Alex Nicholls up there.

“Then there is Ishmel Demontagnac, so I have one or two options.”

A further option would be German international Marco Reich, who has come on as a subs in the previous two games.

Mullen has been studying the report he had of Scunthorpe’s 3-0 Carling Cup defeat at Hartlepool on Tuesday.

He said: “It’s going to be tough but the boys are looking forward to it. It is our first opportunity to play at home in the league. There are a lot of good teams in this division but we have a squad good enough to compete at this level.”

Midfielder Dwayne Mattis is back in training after injury and Mullen may look to Paul Boertien’s experience at left-back after playing teenager Netan Sansara in the previous two games.