Walsall's 2025/26 Sky Bet League Two campaign continues on Saturday afternoon as they make their way to the Exercise Stadium where they'll take on Harrogate Town.MATCH INFORMATION
This weekend's Sky Bet League Two meeting between the Sulphurites and Saddlers will take place at the Exercise Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 12.30pm.
Otherwise known as Wetherby Road, the stadium can accommodate approximately 5,000 fans and is located in the Woodlands area of Harrogate.
SatNav: HG2 7SA.
NEWS & VIEWS
Despite spending much of the last couple of months at the top of the table, the Saddlers have won just one of their last five league games, and were finally knocked off their perch last weekend.
Hopefully the team has been able to use the last week to reset and will reach the Exercise Stadium full of determination and desire to get back to winning ways.
Looking to build upon a welcome win over Newport County, the Saddlers were simply dreadful as goals from Samson Tovide and Kyreece Lisbie saw Colchester United take all three points.
Whilst it's far too early to press the panic button, the Saddlers' recent run of form has all the hallmarks of last season's collapse.
An overall lack of goals, and, more importantly, a somewhat porous backline has already seen top place surrendered. Unless the team can rediscover some of the form that saw them rise to the top earlier this season, it could be just the beginning of another slump.
With the recent acquisition of former Leeds United, Rangers and Derby County striker Kemar Roofe there are potentially more goals in the team. However, if last weekend's performance is anything to go by, even Erling Haaland would struggle to get amongst the goals as his teammates simply can't get the ball to him.
TEAM NEWS
Walsall have been handed a bit of a boost over the last week as defender Harrison Burke returned to training in midweek.
Jamie Jellis is expected to miss out with an abdominal injury, whilst Brandon Comley could feature after suffering an illness last week.
THE OPPOSITION
Sitting at the foot of the form guide, the Sulphurites have lost five of their last six league games, but will reach this weekend's match on the back of a promising draw with Notts County.
Taking the lead via Tom Cursons in the first-half, Harrogate were cruelly denied a much-needed win late in second-half stoppage tome when Matthew Dennis grabbed his seventh goal of the season.
FACTFILE: HARROGATE TOWN
Nickname: The Sulphurites
Founded: 1914
Ground: Wetherby Road
Manager: Simon Weaver
HEAD-TO-HEAD
There have only been ten competitive meetings between Walsall and Harrogate Town, and it's all-square in terms of head-to-head, with three wins apiece.
The match was an eventful, high-scoring affair as, despite taking an early lead, the Saddlers left it late to take a share of the spoils as Josh Gordon levelled nine minutes from full-time.
The other four games ended in draws, as there has been little to separate the two teams over the last few campaigns.
The first meeting was played behind closed doors at Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday, 19th September 2020 — Harrogate were in the middle of replacing their synthetic pitch to bring them in line with EFL regulations.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
The most recent meeting between the Saddlers and Sulpurites took place at Poundland Bescot Stadium on Friday, 18th April 2025, and saw the spoils shared as the teams played out a two-all draw.
Walsall levelled the scores with two minutes of normal time remaining as Liam Gordon netted his third goal of the season to keep his team's hopes of securing promotion alive.
Walsall opened the scoring with sixteen minutes of the first-half on the clock, as Anthony O'Connor managed to put a Connor Barrett effort into the back of the net when the shot/ cross would likely have gone out for a goal kick without his intervention.
The visitors levelled the scores as Josh March finished off a move by slamming the ball into the roof of the net. The Saddlers simply unable to clear their lines as Harrogate swooped on a pensive backline.
Harrogate went into the lead shortly after the hour mark when an Ellis Taylor effort took a massive deflection and rolled over the line. Tommy Simkin was wrong-footed by the deflection and could do nothing to stop the ball.
MATCH OFFICIALS
The EFL confirmed that Aaron Bannister who is based in Hemsworth, West Yorkshire will take charge of the match.
Kevin Mulraine and Paul Newhouse have been named as assistant referees, whilst James Bancroft has been selected as Fourth Official.
GAMES
|
13
|
YELLOW
CARDS |
RED
CARDS |
50
| 6
|
PENALTIES
|
2
|
CATCH THE MATCH
Along with the usual audio options available on the club's in-house service Saddlers+, Saturday's match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports+.
Overseas Saddlers can also watch the match via Saddlers+, where video match passes are available.