Bromley travel to the Bescot Stadium on Saturday to take on League Two leaders Walsall in what promises to be an enthralling encounter. Mat Sadler’s side sit just two points above Bromley, with both sides boasting a goal difference of +8. Andy Woodman’s men have lost two games fewer than Walsall, who have suffered defeat in 5 out of their opening 17 games.
The two clubs met twice last season, and the final score was 2-2 on both occasions – the first encounter took place in the Midlands, with Michael Cheek and Danny Imray both netting. Four months later, the Reds travelled to BR2, where they came from behind twice – Levi Amantchi bagged on the stroke of half time to make it 1-1 after Ben Thompson’s seventh minute opener, and on 70 minutes, Jamille Matt cancelled out Harry McKirdy’s audacious chip with a clever finish.
Walsall missed out on automatic promotion by a single point last campaign – despite being a remarkable 15 points clear at the top in January, the Saddlers slipped down the table as the season drew to a close, and Antoni Sarcevic’s winner in the sixth minute of injury time for Bradford City against Fleetwood Town on the final day of the season saw the Bantams beat Walsall to the final automatic promotion place.
The Reds had the chance to put things right in the play-offs, and it seemed as though they were going to do just that when they convincingly beat Chesterfield 4-1 in the play-off semi-final, setting up a tie against AFC Wimbledon at Wembley Stadium, who Bromley beat twice in League Two last campaign without conceding a single goal.
However, it wasn’t to be for the West Midlands side in the capital – Miles Hippolyte scored the only goal of the game to boost the Wombles into League One, condemning Walsall to another season in the fourth division of English football.
Just as they did last season, Walsall have started well in the 2025/26 campaign, having won the most games in the division so far, with Mat Sadler’s men securing three points on ten occasions. The Saddlers have won just two out of their last six league games, with Bromley winning all of their last four – Saturday’s fixture promises to be a closely contested affair.
