Division One: Walsall v Blackburn Rovers - Peter White's preview

FROM manager Ray Graydon through to longest-serving player Chris Marsh, Walsall are confident they can hold on to their recently-won First Division status.

Even though it has been a tough start to life at this level, following their promotion from Division Two at the end of last season, the Saddlers have already picked up a couple of notable neighbouring scalps.

Wolves, West Brom and Birmingham have all been beaten by their so-called smaller local rivals.

And the prospect of facing Blackburn Rovers, fresh from the Premiership, at the Bescot Stadium tonight does not worry Walsall one little bit. In fact, it's a challenge they seem to be relishing.

"When we won promotion we were looking forward to playing teams like Blackburn," said full back Marsh who has made more than 350 League appearances for the club.

"It's the type of game you love to play in and we have no inferiority complex about facing them.

"We are looking forward to it and we are confident we can stay up.

"The team spirit here is fantastic.

"We knew it would be an uphill battle when we won promotion because we would be up against quality players.

"But the fans are right behind us and they have been outstanding."

That sense of togetherness - a similar sort of spirit to the one Brian Kidd has tried to develop at Ewood - could be Walsall's biggest weapon.

And Graydon has no qualms about the mood in his squad, especially after the way they battled against Ipswich on Saturday and were unlucky not to take at least a point from the game. It was only a last-minute strike by Richard Naylor that clinched victory for promotion contenders Ipswich.

But Walsall are pleased to be back in action so quickly with the opportunity to get back on track.

The manager said: "It would be a nice one to win (against Rovers).

"It was a real choker to lose so late in the game last Saturday but I couldn't fault my players for the effort they gave."

And Graydon remains adamant that his team are capable of climbing out of trouble.

"I believe we will get to safety," he claimed.

"And, if we can keep doing what we are doing and performing as we did against Ipswich, we have a chance."

It is only a month since the teams met at Ewood, Rovers winning 2-0 with first-half goals for Ashley Ward and Lee Carsley.

Although it was a lot easier than the scoreline suggests, with Rovers dominant from start to finish.

That game marked Per Frandsen's debut, following his transfer from Bolton, and it was also the last time Brian Kidd's side won a match.

They looked capable of starting a push for promotion but, instead, lost the very next game at Swindon and have since lost their way to slide down the table.

One way or another, they could desperately do with repeating that September win tonight.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.