From the Archive | Derby Day Delight 

Salop’s rivalry with Walsall is one that has taken on much more significance over the last decade.

After spending six years apart between 2006 and 2012, the clash with our West Midlands rivals became a more regular fixture on our list throughout the 2010s.  

It has been another six years since we last squared off in a league fixture, with a 0-0 draw at home on the last day of the 18/19 season being enough to relegate the Saddlers from League One.  

For this week’s From the Archive, we are going one season further back to the comfortable victory we secured over Walsall in March 2018.  

The League One promotion race was wide open coming into the match. Salop were sitting in second place on 68 points, with Blackburn top of the league on 73, and Wigan in third on 67. Town had played 34 games, Blackburn 36, and Wigan 32.  

Walsall were sitting 13th in the table on 44 points, seven points off the play-offs having played more games than the teams around them.  

Salop were coming into the game after suffering a blip in form in Shropshire. Paul Hurst’s men had drawn two and lost two of their last four home games, and they knew that, if they wanted to secure promotion, getting back on track on home soil was essential.

Fortunately, it did not take long for them to find their rhythm. Alex Rodman turned in an inviting low cross from Jon Nolan to give Salop the lead with just six minutes on the clock.  

We nearly doubled our lead 10 minutes later with Stefan Payne volleying a Shaun Whalley cross off the post from six yards.  

Nolan nearly grabbed a goal to add to his assist on the half-hour mark, firing a 20-yard strike narrowly over the bar. The visitors would come to an equaliser three minutes later, with Nicky Devlin striking the post from close range.  

The Saddlers pushed for an equaliser throughout the second half, with Liam Leahy heading off the woodwork in the final ten minutes.  

Salop would weather the storm, though, with skipper Abu Ogogo tucking away an Alex Rodman cross in the 88th minute to secure our first league win against Walsall in six years.