Walsall FC vs Bristol Rovers FC, League One 2018-19 REGULAR SEASON
Overview
Match Preview
Walsall FC vs Bristol Rovers FC — League One at The Banks's Stadium.
- Walsall FC 0 games · 0 pts (2026/27)
- Bristol Rovers FC 0 games · 0 pts (2026/27)
Match Details
- Referee Rob Lewis
- Referee Lee Freeman
- Referee Wade Smith
- Referee Richard Bartlett
Standings
| # | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huddersfield Town AFC | 14 | 29 |
| 2 | Stockport County FC | 15 | 29 |
| 3 | Oxford United FC | 13 | 26 |
| 4 | Luton Town FC | 14 | 24 |
| 5 | Sheffield Wednesday FC | 14 | 23 |
| 6 | Plymouth Argyle FC | 15 | 23 |
| 7 | Reading FC | 15 | 22 |
| 8 | Bradford City AFC | 13 | 22 |
| 9 | Milton Keynes Dons FC | 14 | 21 |
| 10 | Cambridge United FC | 14 | 21 |
| 11 | Leicester City FC | 13 | 19 |
| 12 | Mansfield Town FC | 13 | 19 |
| 13 | Wycombe Wanderers FC | 13 | 18 |
| 14 | Leyton Orient FC | 13 | 17 |
| 15 | Burton Albion FC | 15 | 17 |
| 16 | Stevenage FC | 12 | 16 |
| 17 | AFC Wimbledon | 14 | 16 |
| 18 | Notts County FC | 12 | 14 |
| 19 | Wigan Athletic FC | 15 | 14 |
| 20 | Blackpool FC | 13 | 12 |
| 21 | Doncaster Rovers FC | 13 | 12 |
| 22 | Peterborough United FC | 13 | 10 |
| 23 | Barnsley FC | 13 | 9 |
| 24 | Bromley FC | 13 | 9 |
Head-to-Head
Recent Form
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Dec | Bristol Rovers FC | H | 1–3 | L |
| 22 Dec | Peterborough United FC | A | 1–1 | D |
| 15 Dec | Bradford City AFC | A | 0–4 | L |
| 11 Dec | Sunderland AFC | A | 1–0 | W |
| 08 Dec | Coventry City FC | H | 2–1 | W |
| 01 Dec | Sunderland AFC | H | 1–1 | D |
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Dec | Walsall FC | A | 3–1 | W |
| 22 Dec | Fleetwood Town FC | H | 2–1 | W |
| 15 Dec | Sunderland AFC | A | 1–2 | L |
| 08 Dec | Doncaster Rovers FC | H | 0–4 | L |
| 27 Nov | Gillingham FC | H | 1–2 | L |
| 24 Nov | Charlton Athletic FC | A | 1–3 | L |
Key Stats
67%
Both Teams to Score
H2H (3 games)
H2H (3 games)
67%
Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history
H2H history
Events
Match Events
- 0' Packed stands, loud atmosphere — Walsall FC and Bristol Rovers FC get this one started.
- 5' looks like a favorite considering 0 games won in last 0 matches with its main striker scoring goals.
- 7' Brilliant from the ! Tom Lockyer makes it 0-1 with a superb finish on 7.
- 10' What composure from Alex Rodman! The England international strokes it home. 0-2.
- 15' A tactical chess match is unfolding here. The question is which manager blinks first.
- 20' Tom Nichols has certainly something to prove this evening. He made 1 appearances with only 0 goals this season.
- 25' The referee is likely to let players tackle, as he already missed some meaty challenges during opening seconds. He is still to establish what should not be done by the players and what is acceptable on the pitch. It’s going to be a tough game for Edward Upson suffering a number of foals already.
- 30' The midfield battle is intense right now. Both Walsall FC and Bristol Rovers FC are fighting for every inch of the pitch.
- 35' Bristol Rovers FC have won 319 goals from 292 games. They will be desperate to add to that tally today.
- 40' Bristol Rovers FC receives a Yellow card for a hard tackle on 40.
- 43' Gavin Reilly has been a danger all night but risks an early exit having now seen a Yellow card on 43.
- 45' Josh Gordon adds to his 0 season tally! Walsall FC lead 1-2 — and this changes everything.
- 50' Spectators are craving for more action. Both teams play very cautiously. They need to put some more energy.
- 52' GOAL! Tareiq Holmes-Dennis fires home to make it 1-3!
- 57' The 34-year-old Jon Guthrie has been sensational this season — 0 goals and 0 assists is a remarkable return.
- 59' Walsall FC ring the changes. Josh Gordon has done his job and it is now time for Morgan Ferrier to step up.
- 64' Spectators do not have much to choose from both teams. The sides had several scoring chances but they still need a bit more than just a sight of a goal.
- 69' It looks surprising Bristol Rovers FC does not make any changes. James Clarke has some obvious troubles when approaching to the goal.
- 72' Walsall FC receives a Yellow card for a hard tackle on 72.
- 72' A change in the Bristol Rovers FC ranks — Gavin Reilly exits the field as Liam Sercombe enters on 72.
- 77' With 0 assists to his name this season, Zeli Ismail is clearly more than just a goal scorer for Bristol Rovers FC.
- 78' The Walsall FC manager makes a substitution. Kieron Morris departs to be replaced by Connor Ronan.
- 80' The Bristol Rovers FC bench stirs into life. Tareiq Holmes-Dennis is withdrawn and Tom Nichols gets his opportunity.
- 85' named a earlier, and opted for a in response. A fascinating tactical duel is developing.
- 87' Stefan Payne is ready to make an impact after coming on for Alex Jakubiak at the 87 minute mark.
- Walsall FC will have plenty to reflect on. Bristol Rovers FC were simply the better side today.
Lineups
Walsall FC Lineups
Starting XI
- 1
- 5
- 6
- 4
- 27
-
8
Kieron Morris ↓ Connor Ronan 78'
- 15
- 3
-
10
Zeli Ismail ↓ Joe Edwards 59'
- 9
-
29
Josh Gordon ↓ Morgan Ferrier 59'
Bench
- 20
-
31
Connor Ronan ↑ 78'
-
2
Joe Edwards ↑ 59'
- 28
- 13
-
16
Morgan Ferrier ↑ 59'
- 32
Coach
Dean Keates
Bristol Rovers FC Lineups
Starting XI
- 3
- 4
- 15
- 5
- 28
- 8
- 33
- 13
- 6
-
20
Gavin Reilly ↓ Liam Sercombe 72'
-
17
Alex Jakubiak ↓ Stefan Payne 87'
Bench
- 21
- 16
- 14
- 22
-
7
Liam Sercombe ↑ 72'
-
10
Tom Nichols ↑ 80'
-
9
Stefan Payne ↑ 87'
H2H
H2H Top Scorers
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Josh Gordon | 1 |
| Tareiq Holmes-Dennis | 1 |
| Tom Lockyer | 1 |
| Alex Rodman | 1 |
| Caolan Lavery | 1 |
| Jack Baldwin | 1 |
| Brandon Hanlan | 1 |
| Kieron Morris | 1 |
Head to Head
Walsall FC Form
Bristol Rovers FC Form
2018-12-26
Walsall FC
1–3
Bristol Rovers FC
W
2018-12-22
Bristol Rovers FC
2–1
Fleetwood Town FC
W
2018-12-15
Sunderland AFC
2–1
Bristol Rovers FC
L
2018-12-08
Bristol Rovers FC
0–4
Doncaster Rovers FC
L
2018-11-27
Bristol Rovers FC
1–2
Gillingham FC
L
2018-11-24
Charlton Athletic FC
3–1
Bristol Rovers FC
L
Predictions
Prediction accuracy
2 / 4
1.33
Walsall FC xG
Expected Goals
Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo
1.45
Bristol Rovers FC xG
I would bet for:
Walsall FC or Bristol Rovers FC 72% + Both teams to score 57%
Match Result
✗ WrongActual: Bristol Rovers FC win
Both Teams to Score
✓ Correct
Avg goals/match: 2.78
Actual: Yes — both scored
Over / Under Goals
✓ O/U 2.5| Line | Over | Under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ± 0.5 | 92% |
|
8% |
| ± 1.5 | 77% |
|
23% |
| ± 2.5 | 52% |
|
48% |
| ± 3.5 | 31% |
|
69% |
| ± 4.5 | 16% |
|
84% |
Double Chance
Walsall FC or Draw
64%
Draw or Bristol Rovers FC
64%
Walsall FC or Bristol Rovers FC
72%
Half-Time Result
✗ WrongActual: Bristol Rovers FC win at HT
Correct Score
✓ In top 12
1 – 1
12.9%
1 – 2
8.3%
0 – 0
8.1%
0 – 1
8%
2 – 1
7.7%
1 – 0
7.3%
0 – 2
6.4%
2 – 2
5.6%
2 – 0
5.4%
1 – 3
Actual
3 – 1
3.4%
0 – 3
3%
Asian Handicap — Walsall FC
| Handicap | Walsall FC covers | Push | Bristol Rovers FC covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| -2.5 | 5% | — | 95% |
| -2 | 5% | 10% | 85% |
| -1.5 | 15% | — | 85% |
| -1 | 15% | 18% | 67% |
| -0.5 | 33% | — | 67% |
| +0.5 | 61% | — | 39% |
| +1 | 61% | 20% | 19% |
| +1.5 | 81% | — | 19% |
| +2 | 81% | 12% | 7% |
| +2.5 | 93% | — | 7% |
Clean Sheet
Walsall FC keeps clean sheet
24%
✓
Bristol Rovers FC keeps clean sheet
27%
✓
Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.