Walsall will bring back midfielder Ronan Maher from his loan stint with National League play-off chasers Tamworth following this weekend’s matches when his loan deal comes to an end.
The Republic of Ireland U21s international was flying whilst out on loan with Andy Peaks’ side but will play his final match for the club this weekend before returning to the Saddlers.
Walsall face the possibility of slipping off the top spot this weekend despite sitting comfortably at the top of the division coming into the new year.
As confirmed via Tamworth’s official Twitter (X) account, Maher will feature for the club during Saturday’s trip to Maidenhead United before returning to see out the remainder of the League Two campaign with Walsall.
Promotion boost for one, a promotion setback for another
News of Maher’s return to Walsall will come as a huge blow for Tamworth, especially after the National League side lost fellow loanee George Morrison last weekend following an identical decision by Fleetwood Town.
Currently, Tamworth are 10th in the National League and find themselves just three points off the play-off places with just six games left to play.
However, Walsall may be top of League Two, but defeat against Port Vale on Saturday matched with a win for Bradford City would see the Saddlers fall to third in the standings.
With a slip in results and a fall in creativity, the decision could be deemed as sensible for the club if he proves to have an impact in their final few matches of the season.
How has he fared this season?
Following a successful loan stint with Rushall Olympic last season, Maher was retained by Walsall this summer and kept in the building rather than going back out on loan.
He featured eight times during the first-half of the season but as a result of the impressive form of Walsall’s midfielders in particular, his minutes weren’t as high as he is likely to have wanted.
This led to him being available on loan and subsequently joined National League side Tamworth, where he’s featured 12 times in the league as well as appearances in their famous FA Cup run.
During this time, Maher has contributed to five league goals as well as a crucial strike against Burton Albion in the FA Cup in December.
Will Walsall secure automatic promotion?
Walsall take on fellow title-chasers Port Vale this weekend, with both sides likely to be eager to secure all three points for their respective campaigns.
The Saddlers are winless in their last eight league games, though they’ve drew six of those. However, this has unsurprisingly saw their comfortable lead fall away and now they face a battle to secure a top three finish.
Despite competition from both Bradford and Port Vale, the likes of Notts County, Doncaster Rovers and AFC Wimbledon are also closing in on the automatic promotion places.
Following their clash against Port Vale, Walsall’s remaining fixtures including a trip to Crewe Alexandra and a trip to Andy Whing’s Barrow, which could cause them problems.
Walsall fans, are you happy to see Maher back at the club?