Fleetwood keeper Maxwell out to silence big-noise Bradshaw

Fleetwood Town keeper Chris Maxwell has backed his centre-halves to keep fellow Welshman and Walsall hotshot Tom Bradshaw at bay tonight.
Fleetwood Town's Chris Maxwell  Photographer Chris Vaughan/CameraSportFleetwood Town's Chris Maxwell  Photographer Chris Vaughan/CameraSport
Fleetwood Town's Chris Maxwell Photographer Chris Vaughan/CameraSport

Bradshaw has netted 13 times this season in League One and helped propel the Saddlers up to fourth, but Town boss Steven Pressley says defender Joe Davis handled the striker exceptionally well in the 2-0 defeat at Walsall in November.

And Maxwell believes that if Davis and Marcus Nilsson are on their game Bradshaw should pose no problems at Highbury.

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He said: “I think Tom is a fantastic player. Being Welsh I’ve known him a long time, from his days at Shrewsbury and at Aberystwyth Town as well.

“He’s a very physical player, even though he is not the tallest,and very sharp around the box. He is on a fantastic run of form this season.

“All the best to him, but I think if our two centre-halves are on their A game and we deal with him correctly, he shouldn’t be a problem.”

With 11 games left of the season, 40 points on the board, 19th in the table and a five point cushion from the drop zone Maxwell says it is vital Town use their game in hand tonight - with only Blackpool and Oldham in action at the bottom of the table - to pull further away from the relegation zone.

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He said: “It is the final run in until the end of the season and we need to pick up points.

“We have got a bit of a gap between ourselves and the bottom four with a game in hand so it is vitally important that we capitalise on that game in hand.

“Walsall are a difficult team to play against, they will be organised and they are coming off the back of a 4-1 win over Chesterfield aswell.

“It will be difficult but I’m fully confident that our team can bounce back and use the disappointment of the 2-1 defeat at Burton on Saturday to push forward and get three points.

“I think I’m right in saying that nobody has gone down with 51 points but I think for me if you play well and win games you will be safe - simple as that.”