Yesterday afternoon Walsall Football Club played host to Peterborough United in the latest Sky Bet League One match of the season. Guest reporter Gabriel Sutton of 'The Football Lab' was in attendance, and shares his match report below.
If ever there was a match to highlight Walsall’s reliance on
Tom Bradshaw, their 0-0 draw at home to Peterborough United was it. The top
scorer missed the game due to a hamstring problem, and after today’s blank, the
Saddlers have now only scored 1 goal in 6 games with Bradshaw out of the team.
It may not be an exaggeration to suggest that the success of Walsall’s season could
hinge on his fitness.
If games were won on overall performances, Dean Smith’s side
would have been comfortable victors. The showing from Peterborough was about as
quiet as the travelling fans who had to witness it, and aside from a lively
start, Posh offered nothing in attack
all game. Darren Ferguson’s side have gained a gleaming reputation for playing
entertaining, attacking football over the last few years, but they did not live
up to that on Saturday.
Walsall were the better team, yet the task of converting
possession and pressure into goals has yet again proved a challenge for them. In
the first half, Walsall had a lot of the ball in Peterborough’s half, but
struggled to find a pass that would create space in the final third. Striker
Mathieu Manset had a mixed game. He brought others into play well, and looked a
threat when driving forward in the moments when he had the ball. However, he
was not the most proactive in looking for it and was at times slightly static
up top.
The lack of movement in the final third was a factor behind
Walsall’s problems. With limited options around them, a few of the attacking
players would sometimes take too many touches. The likes of Anthony Forde would
miss the chance to get the ball in early, giving Peterborough’s defence too
much time to organize themselves.
For all Walsall’s dominance, the closest they came to
scoring in the first half were shots from range. Romaine Sawyers scored the
winning goal against Sheffield United on Wednesday night, and he was nearly at
it again, shooting just wide after a nice passing move. Walsall then had their
first shot on target just before the break, as Anthony Forde’s effort was
tipped over by Ben Alnwick.
Midfielder Michael Cain is on loan from Leicester, and Dean
Smith will be hoping that getting an extension is not a bridge too far. Cain
had an outstanding game in midfield, he swept up opposition attacks with ease,
and played some impressive long range passes. A central pairing which combines
Cain’s intelligence and Adam Chambers’ stoic physical presence may hold some
potential for Walsall.
The 2nd half was a feisty affair. There was a
scuffle between both sets of players early on, and Walsall fans did not respond
too kindly to the conduct of Christian Burgess and Kgosi Ntlhe, both of whom
appeared to be feigning injury. However, this anger went some way to galvanize
the home fans, and Walsall played with a little bit more adrenaline in the 2nd
half.
The Saddlers looked a threat down the left flank, with
Sawyers roaming over to help create space. Full-back Andy Taylor put in a
series of dangerous-looking crosses, one of which was headed just wide by
Jordan Cook, another player to impress after the break.
Walsall were creating chances, the pick of them coming to
Sawyers, who fired wide from close range. Had the ball fallen to Tom Bradshaw
in that situation, you suspect Walsall would have walked away with 3 points,
rather than 1.
Sir Alex Ferguson was in attendance for this match, and he
will have seen the unusual scenario of an injury-time penalty appeal not given.
Peterborough’s Ricardo Santos allegedly handballed in the box, and so too Walsall’s
Ben Purkiss, just a few minutes later. Even though Peterborough had the better
case to be awarded a late penalty, had they scored, it would have been a grave
injustice on the balance of play. Aside from one goal-line scramble, they created
next to nothing, and in that sense it was a frustrating day for both sets of
fans.
Peterborough supporters will be disappointed with their team’s
performance, and Walsall fans will be slightly miffed that they could not
capitalize on their dominance. Peterborough are now 5 points off the automatic
promotion places, and have challenging games against the top 2 teams, Swindon
and Bristol City, next up. Walsall do not have a home match for almost another
month, with back-to-back away games in the league, and midweek trips to
Shrewsbury and Tranmere in the FA Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy
respectively. The Saddlers are still just 3 points above the relegation zone,
and will need Tom Bradshaw back fit if they want to go into Christmas in a
comfortable position.
By: Gabriel Sutton.
RESULT WALSALL 0 PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0
VENUE The Banks's Stadium, Walsall.
ATTENDANCE 5,495 (579 Peterborough United)
REFEREE Mr. Andy Woolmer, Northamptonshire.
WALSALL O'Donnell; Purkiss, J.Chambers, Downing, Taylor; A.Chambers ©, Cain; Cook , Sawyers , Forde (Benning 85'); Manset (Grimes 79')
SUBS NOT USED MacGillivray; O'Connor; Baxendale, Flanagan, Clifford
PETERBOROUGH UNITED Alnwick; Smith, Santos, Burgess , Newell , Ntlhe, Payne (J.Anderson 76'), Bostwick, Taylor (Mendez-Laing 62'), Washington (James 76'), Vassell
SUBS NOT USED Henry, Oztumer, Ferdinand, McCann