League Two promotion race: Walsall seek to hold on as pack of rivals apply pressure

By John Lyons

With four promotion places on offer – three automatic and one via the playoffs – there’s plenty of scope for clubs to dream of escaping the EFL’s bottom division.

Walsall have been out in front for months, but seem to have hit the marathon equivalent of the wall.

Will they get their second wind in time, or will they be swallowed up by the pack?

It’s just one of many questions to be answered in the run-in…

IN THE MIX: From left, Jamille Matt (Walsall), Richie Smallwood (Bradford), Matty Stevens (AFC Wimbledon), Alassana Jatta (Notts County), Luke Molyneux (Doncaster) and Lorent Tolaj (Port Vale) PICTURES: Alamy

Promotion-chasers

In mid-January, it looked as though Walsall were going to have the League Two title wrapped up in double quick time.

Twelve points clear and brushing aside their rivals with consummate ease, Mat Sadler’s men looked unstoppable.

However, the loss of top scorer Nathan Lowe – recalled from his loan by Stoke City – had a bigger impact than even the Saddlers could have feared and results have nosedived.

Ahead of yesterday’s trip to Gillingham, Walsall had won just two of their last dozen games, throwing in five draws and five defeats to give the chasing pack massive encouragement.

Their advantage at the top has shrunk, though, on the plus side, many of their rivals have struggled to find the consistency required to put even more pressure on them.

The Saddlers should still do it, but it’s by no means a gimme.

Bantams on the hunt

Their next three fixtures could be crucial.

AFC Wimbledon (h), Doncaster Rovers (a) and Port Vale (h) are all in the promotion shake-up and will be eager to add to Walsall’s wobbles.

If the West Midlands side can hold their own in those encounters, they can look forward with optimism as their following tures become, on paper at least, much kinder.

It was a 3-0 reverse at Bradford City in late January that began Walsall’s sticky spell and it’s the Bantams who have moved closest to them in recent weeks, largely on the back of ten straight home wins.

However, a couple of 1-0 defeats against strugglers Gillingham, away, and Tranmere, home, have just slowed their momentum at a crucial time and manager Graham Alexander will be eager for them to put their foot on the gas again.

Something that could potentially make the run-in more difficult is the fact they have five of their remaining eight games away from their University of Bradford Stadium fortress.

Dons aiming for third tier return

AFC Wimbledon climbed to third place last weekend and they will have plenty of backers as they bid to return to the third tier.

One of the main reasons for that optimism is the fact the Dons have the best defensive record in the division.

However, Johnnie Jackson’s men will be ruing surprise defeats to Bromley, Morecambe and Cheltenham this month.

If they can get back to their stingy best at the back and supply former Forest Green promotion-winner Matty Stevens with the ammunition to score at the other end, they should be there or thereabouts.

Next Saturday’s trip to Walsall is a big one, while the visit to Doncaster on Saturday, April 12 could also prove pivotal.

Rovers face tough fixture list

Doncaster headed into the weekend in fourth place, behind the Dons on goal difference, and manager Grant McCann believes that yesterday’s postponed match at Salford due to his side’s international call-ups came at just the right time.

With a number of injured players on the road back to fitness, the former Peterborough and Hull boss was glad of the extra recovery time.

Of the sides in the hunt for promotion, Rovers have arguably the toughest fixture list.

They will be determined to make the most of home matches against promotion rivals Walsall, AFC Wimbledon, Colchester and Bradford, while the final day trip to Notts County could turn out to be crucial for both sides.

County in need of quick turnaround

Notts lay fifth pre-weekend and, like a number of their rivals, have stumbled of late.

Ahead of yesterday’s game against Crewe, they had only won one of their five games this month.

That’s not promotion form and Stuart Maynard’s men must dig deep now.

Their run-in doesn’t look the most taxing and the positive for concerned Magpies fans is that they have two of the top strikers in the division in Alassana Jatta and the evergreen David McGoldrick.

They will have massive roles to play if Notts are to return to the third tier for the first time in a decade.

Darren Moore’s Port Vale have been in the frame all season and the fact they had lost a division low seven games pre-weekend, alongside Colchester United, tells you they are a tough nut to crack.

However, 13 draws have stymied their progress and the Valiants will need to show a more clinical edge in front of goal if they are to turn those one-pointers into maximums.

Back-to-back games Bradford (h, April 1) and Walsall (a, April 50 should give us a clearer indication whether the Potteries side can challenge for automatic promotion.

U’s continue to soar under Cowley

Did anyone see Danny Cowley’s, above, Colchester being in the promotion shake-up earlier in the season? Probably not.

However, a 13-game unbeaten run ahead of yesterday’s testing trip to Bradford has seen the U’s surge up the table and show their potential.

If they could just have turned a few of their division-high 16 draws into wins, they would be in an even better place.

However, it’s hard to quibble with what Colchester have done since the turn of the year and five successive wins this month have highlighted their improvement.

Play-off contenders

A late run could yet see a side storm through the pack to bag an unlikely automatic promotion spot, but the play-offs look like being a more viable option for a number of sides.

Heading into the weekend, Lee Bell’s Crewe Alexandra were just outside the top seven.

After last season’s play-off final reverse against Crawley Town, they would no doubt love to set the record straight and have another go at them.

Successive 3-0 defeats against Newport County and Wimbledon last month set alarm bells ringing and the Railwaymen haven’t found the consistency they would have liked in recent weeks, but they are still in with a decent shout of extending their season and last term’s experience should stand them in good stead in the final furlongs.

WINS: Grimsby boss David Artell

Mariners enjoying play-off push

Many thought Grimsby would be also-rans this season, so manager David Artell and his troops deserve credit for putting themselves in the play-off fight.

Take a look at the Mariners’ record this term and a few things stand out.

No-one has had fewer draws in the division (five ahead of yesterday’s game against Newport), no-one has lost more games in the top half of the table and they are the highest-placed side in the division with a negative goal difference.

But with 17 wins pre-weekend, it suggests that Grimsby go for it and are prepared to take risks.

That win-or-bust approach may be beneficial as they target the points needed to gatecrash the end-of-season jamboree.

Grimsby would have been in an even better position if they’d beaten Salford City at home last weekend, but it was the Ammies who travelled home with a precious three points thanks to Matty Lund’s 82nd-minute winner that was just the fillip that Karl Robinson’s side needed after a six-game winless run.

They would have loved to have had the chance to build on that, but yesterday’s home game against Doncaster was called off due to Rovers’ international call-ups.

The newcomers

It means the Ammies return to action next weekend at Bromley, the EFL newcomers who have performed admirably this season after being written off in some quarters as no-hopers before a ball had even been kicked.

Manager Andy Woodman has again worked wonders with last term’s National League play off winners and experienced striker Michael Cheek, below, has shown that someone should have given him an EFL shot a long time ago.

The play-offs may yet prove to be just out of reach, but the Ravens have already acquitted themselves superbly in their maid-en season in the top 92.

Chesterfield won the National League last season and were, perhaps somewhat surprisingly the bookies’ favourites to make it back-to-back titles this term.

Things haven’t panned out that way and Paul Cook’s men will have to produce a big finish to reach the play-offs.

Three wins on the trot pre-weekend lifted the spirits and they do have a game in hand.

A relatively comfortable run-in, on paper, will give them the chance to go for broke.

Cheltenham Town, Fleetwood Town and Swindon Town are tucked in safely in mid-table, but look as though they have too much work to do to make the top seven.