Walsall will have to fight for right to play

GOAL GLUT: Liam Kelly, shown celebrating his header against Swindon, has five for the season.

DEAN Holden isn't expecting anything to come easy as he tries to get one over on his old club and keep Walsall's promotion bandwagon in top gear.

Holden was shown the door at SportsDirect.com Park, with David Dunn and Keith Brown, less than three months ago. He is now two weeks into his new job with the Saddlers, the club he left to join Lee Johnson at Oldham in 2014.

There are few secrets between Holden and Athletic and with John Sheridan being both a former colleague and boss, the 36 year old knows exactly what Walsall will be up against tomorrow.

Swindon failed to live with Athletic's high-energy approach earlier this week and Holden is adamant Walsall – third in the league - will need to scrap for everything.

"I’m expecting a really tough match," Holden said. "They’ve been on a decent run of form since John took over. We know our strengths but we need to match the hard work and endeavour of Oldham - and they’ve got some really good players.”

Sheridan says Holden will have learned plenty from his experiences at Athletic: “He’s a great lad and things didn't work out for him here, but sometimes learning from that experience is the best thing for you," Sheridan said. "We will have a drink after the game – but hopefully after we have taken three points off him."