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Sport  The Saddlers Article


Don't let Jabo slip our grip

Apr 22 2009

By The Saddler

 

Get Jabo! That's my plea to Walsall as they consider how many of the 13 players out of contract should be kept at the end of a hugely disappointing season of mediocre league performances and complete failure in cup competitions.

One man who has stood out like a beacon during the struggles is former Leyton Orient striker Jabo Ibehre who under-lined his value to the club with two goals in last Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by Huddersfield Town, watched by the second lowest gate in League One -just 3,951.

Ibehre has scored ten goals in 40 appearances, and although that may seem a low return, his workrate has been phenomenal and many opposition managers have praised the way he has proved such a handful for their defences.

It's pretty obvious that a number of other clubs will fancy snapping up the striker if he fails to agree terms at Bescot, so I'm sure all Walsall fans will urge the management to offer him a deal that will tie him up for at least another season.

In my view he is the Saddlers' most valuable player, followed by goalkeeper Clayton Ince who should also be offered a new contract.

After the Huddersfield defeat, in which he had given Walsall what should have been a winning two-goal start, Ibehre said: "It's always nice to score goals, but I just wish we would have won.

"I work hard, and sometimes you get your rewards, and sometimes you don't. But it was pleasing to get two goals. The first target I set myself was double figures, so I have got to that stage now, and I want to add to it before the end of the season."

Tomorrow, Ibehre will be looking for more goals as Walsall set out to wreck MK Dons hopes of automatic promotion.

It's the first ever visit to the impressive new stadium of the Milton Keynes outfit who snatched the identity of Wimbledon FC, and the home team are bound to be a little nervous, despite having won four successive games.

The Dons crushed the Saddlers 3-0 at the Banks's Stadium on November 22 when former Walsall winger Mark Wright bagged the third goal. Revenge is definitely on the agenda, even though the home team's website has suggested Hutchings'men have little to play for.

Walsall have picked up just one point from their last three home matches, but have won away at Leyton Orient and Stockport County, so they tend to be more dangerous on their travels.

I expect manager Chris Hutchings to recall first choice keeper Clayton Ince who has missed the last five games through international duty and a family bereavement. The Saddlers have won only one of the games without the giant Trinidad and Tobago star.

Ince played for the reserves in Tuesday's disappointing 2-0 home defeat by Shrewsbury when the Saddlers included teenagers Seb Lake-Gaskin and Zak Martin on trial from West Brom.

Walsall also fielded the experienced Dwayne Mattis, Richard Taundry and Netan Sansara, and assistant manager Martin O'Connor said: "I was very disappointed in the way we were beaten."

* Walsall All Stars will meet Boldmere St Michael's Old Boys at Trevor Brown Memorial Ground, Church Road, Boldmere on Sunday (2pm).

 

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