On Saturday afternoon Walsall Football Club played host to Bury in the latest Sky Bet League 1 fixture of the season. Calum Williams was in attendance, and you can read his match report below.
Just under 5,000 fans we’re at the Banks’s Stadium yesterday to watch table-topping Walsall face a Bury side in the wrong half of the table, despite only losing one of their last 5 games in the league. The other four have all been draws, and they were faced with the task of playing a Saddlers side who remained unbeaten in the league, despite a mid-week loss in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at the hands of league 2 Morecambe.
Walsall were still without first choice keeper Neil Etheridge, and Bescot Banter player of the month Jason Demetriou for the game, who were both on international duty for the Philippines and Cyprus respectively.
Those two players were sorely missed from the offset, and the visitors were keen to capitalize down the left hand side, with Anthony Forde covering in what was clearly an unnatural position for the wide man. A ball from that wing into the danger zone just five minutes in was flicked towards Craig Jones, who smashed a half volley into the bottom corner of the goal, past a sprawling Craig MacGillivray.
A great start from the away side, who showed a lot of energy in the early stages, and continued to put pressure on the ball. However the Saddlers gave as good as they got, Reece Flanagan getting stuck in early on, firing a low effort wide of the left hand post. Romaine Sawyers also looked keen to get involved in the action up front, winning the first of a few corners for the home side that would ultimately come to nothing.
The first real chance of the game for Walsall was created by league 1 player of the month nominee Sam Mantom. He missed out on the award to Coventry’s Adam Armstrong, and missed out on the opportunity to put his side back on level terms, courtesy of a top draw flying save from Shaker’s shot stopper Robert Lainton, from a fizzing left footed effort.
The Saddlers pushed further up the field, with the away side having to sit back and absorb the pressure. This did make the Saddlers vulnerable on the break, but they never really looked like conceding after the opening goal. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much going for them at the other end of the field either. The ideas were there, but there just wasn’t the final product to match the creative build up play.
Some sloppy play on the ball did open up a handful of opportunities for Bury, with number 10 Danny Mayor posing a threat. He ran through the Saddlers defence too easily before Reece Flanagan came to Walsall’s aid with a smart block, as the home side were forced to defend a flurry of corners.
Overall the first half was a frustrating one. A corner late on came out to Romaine Sawyers who floated a ball onto the head of O’Connor at the far post. He rose highest to nod the ball goalwards, but was denied by another good save by the Bury keeper. The early goal just knocked the Saddlers off their stride, and they couldn’t build enough momentum to force a way through, as the referee sounded the whistle to signal the end of the first period.
Walsall were still without first choice keeper Neil Etheridge, and Bescot Banter player of the month Jason Demetriou for the game, who were both on international duty for the Philippines and Cyprus respectively.
Those two players were sorely missed from the offset, and the visitors were keen to capitalize down the left hand side, with Anthony Forde covering in what was clearly an unnatural position for the wide man. A ball from that wing into the danger zone just five minutes in was flicked towards Craig Jones, who smashed a half volley into the bottom corner of the goal, past a sprawling Craig MacGillivray.
GOAL: Walsall 0 Bury 1 (Jones 6’)
The first real chance of the game for Walsall was created by league 1 player of the month nominee Sam Mantom. He missed out on the award to Coventry’s Adam Armstrong, and missed out on the opportunity to put his side back on level terms, courtesy of a top draw flying save from Shaker’s shot stopper Robert Lainton, from a fizzing left footed effort.
The Saddlers pushed further up the field, with the away side having to sit back and absorb the pressure. This did make the Saddlers vulnerable on the break, but they never really looked like conceding after the opening goal. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much going for them at the other end of the field either. The ideas were there, but there just wasn’t the final product to match the creative build up play.
Some sloppy play on the ball did open up a handful of opportunities for Bury, with number 10 Danny Mayor posing a threat. He ran through the Saddlers defence too easily before Reece Flanagan came to Walsall’s aid with a smart block, as the home side were forced to defend a flurry of corners.
Overall the first half was a frustrating one. A corner late on came out to Romaine Sawyers who floated a ball onto the head of O’Connor at the far post. He rose highest to nod the ball goalwards, but was denied by another good save by the Bury keeper. The early goal just knocked the Saddlers off their stride, and they couldn’t build enough momentum to force a way through, as the referee sounded the whistle to signal the end of the first period.
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 - HALF TIME
WALSALL 0 - 1 BURY
The second half started quite differently from the first, the Saddlers looking more comfortable in possession of the ball. Some fancy footwork early on from youngster Rico Henry gave Romaine Sawyers a chance, but his scuffed shot missed by some distance.
Undeterred, the Saddlers kept pushing, but found themselves faced with a brick wall. The away side were sturdy at the back, and still looked dangerous on the break. Mayor again bursting through the Saddlers defence could have had a chance to double the visitor’s advantage, but for a superb challenge by skipper Adam Chambers.
Tom Bradshaw looked desperate to make his mark on the game, but he had been heavily marked from the get go. He did manage to find Sam Mantom in space mid-way through the second half. Another powerful effort from the Walsall number 8 forced a similar save to the one he’d drawn from Lainton in the first half. The Bury keeper didn’t want to be beaten.
However he was beaten soon after, from a Saddlers set piece. A cross into the 18 yard area glanced the head of center back Paul Downing. The ball looped over the keeper, but was headed off the line by a covering Bury defender, to maintain the clean sheet for the time being.
From that effort through to the final whistle, it was a tale of blocked shots and more resolute defending from the Shakers, as the Saddlers kept knocking on a door that simply wouldn’t open. Milan Lalkovic came on as a sub late on, and did inject some life into Walsall who were beginning to become slightly weary. A free kick won by him on the left hand side found the head of another substitute, Jordan Cook, but he got too much on it with a header that flew well over the bar.
You just hoped something would go Walsall’s way, as the final whistle drew ever closer. Sam Mantom wanted another bite of the cherry right at the end of normal time. He blasted another effort goal bound, but yet again Lainton was equal to it. And the home fans really were on the edge of their seats when in the dying seconds of the game, the ball fell to their main target man, Tom Bradshaw. He took a cool touch on the chest, before firing a volley with his fluorescent pink boots in the direction of the Bury goal, but it just wasn’t to be, and he blazed over.
Milan Lalkovic wasn’t finished yet, when he picked up the ball very late on, he drove into the heart of the Bury defence for one last time. It was to be a moment that really epitomised the whole game. He knocked a cutting ball into the area. Shakers defender Soares got contact, but sent the ball in the wrong direction. It bounced off his keeper Lainton, bobbled around in the box, before being gratefully grasped by the man between the sticks.
The home side did get a stroke of luck when the man who had very nearly put the ball in his own net, Tom Soares, missed a gilt-edged chance. A one on one with MacGillivray following a quick break from the away side, ended with a feeble attempt into the advertising board. But it had just been (another) one of those games for Walsall.
Much like their mid-week loss to Morecambe, they had more possession, more shots on goal, but just couldn’t convert. Unexpected you might say, from the side with the best goal difference in the league going into this week of fixtures. Personally though, I don’t think the Saddlers have any need to be disheartened by yesterday’s game, despite the loss.
They were undoubtedly very unlucky not to break the deadlock, and the two players missing on international duty were sorely missed in my view. Whilst Craig MacGillivray didn’t do much wrong bar the goal, Neil Etheridge has been solid thus far, and his commanding presence seems to calm the defenders in front of him. Jason Demetriou’s absence also highlighted just how important he is to the Saddlers defence, with covering Anthony Forde looking uncomfortable in the right wing back position during his spell on the pitch.
A game plan that seemed centred on floated balls into the area was ineffective against a side which clearly had the beating of us in the air, but on another day we might have kept out their early pressure, grabbed a goal of our own, and I’d be writing a report praising another dominant Walsall performance! Those criticising the result need to have another look at the league one table, remember what we’ve already achieved so early on in the season, and support the lads against Doncaster Rovers. Same time, same place, next Saturday afternoon. If the law of averages is anything to go by, we’re surely due a goal or two…
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 - RESULT
WALSALL 0 - 1 BURY
GOAL | Jones (6')
ATTENDANCE | 4,829 (440 Bury)
REFEREE | Mr. Fred Graham (Essex)
BY | Calum WILLIAMS | @calumwilliams18