The Saddlers were back in action on Saturday afternoon as they played host to Leyton Orient at Banks's Stadium.
Arriving at the match on the back of last weekend's defeat to Salford City, the sixteenth-placed Saddlers were looking to return to winning ways as they took on the 17th-placed Orient.
Walsall began the game brightly, seeing much of the ball, but after a fairly quiet start to the match, a clash of heads in the fifth minute brought about a pause in proceedings, whilst Adam Thompson received treatment. Once it was determined that the defender would be fine to continue, the action got back underway, with Leyton Orient winning their first corner of the afternoon, which ultimately came to nothing.
The visiting side continued to grow into the game, and with just ten minutes played, Orient took the lead, as Otis Khan floated the ball into box, where Harry Smith was waiting to turn it home.
Just six minutes after the first goal was scored, the visiting side doubled their advantage. Manny Monthe conceding a corner, from which Ruel Sotiriou picked out Khan just outside the area, with the former Saddler seeing a deflected effort find the back of the net.
With just seventeen minutes on the clock, Walsall manager, Michael Flynn opted to use the first of his substitutions, replacing Rollin Menayese with Lee Tomlin.
Walsall began to show signs of improvement after the change, with Devante Rodney seeing an effort blocked in the eighteenth minute, after some good play from Joss Labadie to work the ball to him.
The Saddlers continued to press, winning a corner in the twentieth minute, as Shadrach Ogie was forced to turn the ball out of play, but nothing would come of the set-piece as Emmanuel Osadebe was caught offside.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle as it continued, though it was the visiting side who looked the more likely of the two to find a way through their opposition defences, and thirty-six minutes in, they almost did just that as a ball over the top from Ogie was met by Sotiriou, but Walsall shot-stopper, Carl Rushworth was alert to the danger and made the save.
Moments later, another chance presented itself for the visitors, as Omar Beckles headed the ball into the path of Aaron Drinan, but the forwards effort on goal was blocked by Tyrese Shade, with the resultant corner coming to nothing.
With forty minutes on the clock, the Saddlers were forced to make their second change of the afternoon, as man to replace Menayese, Lee Tomlin, was himself replaced by Zak Mills, as an injury forced him from the game.
Harry Smith became the first player to see his name entered into the referee's notebook in the fortieth minute, as he picked up a caution after involving himself in an argument.
Four additional minutes were added to end the first-half, during which time, Sotiriou saw a shot denied by a well-placed Hayden White, after a cross from Darren Pratley found him at the far post. That would be the final action of note though, and the sides headed off for their half-time refreshments with Leyton Orient leading by two-goals-to-nil
HT
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WFC
|
0-2
|
LOFC
|
The teams returned unchanged following the break, and the action got back underway. Leyton Orient began the second-half brightly, with Hector Kyprianou attempting to find the target from range within seconds of the re-start, though White was on hand to ensure the ball would not reach the back of the net, with the resulting corner coming to nothing, as Rushworth gathered the ball.
Sotiriou tried again to find the target in the fifty-second minute, as he found himself in possession just outside the area, but his shot on goal sailed wide of Rushworth's upright.
The Saddlers were quick to work the ball up to the other end following that chance, with Monthe playing in Rodney, but after controlling well, the latter's effort on goal curled over the crossbar.
Walsall continued to enjoy a brighter spell, with Jack Earing and Osadebe combining well in the fifty-eighth minute, but Orient shot-stopper, Lawrence Vigouroux was on hand to ensure his side would remain two-goals-to-the-good, as he tipped Emmanuel's low effort round the post, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
In the sixty-first minute, Walsall opted to make their third and final change of the afternoon, as Devante Rodney was replaced by George Miller.
With sixty-three minutes on the clock, Omar Beckles became the second player to see yellow, as he was cautioned for time wasting.
Sotiriou almost further extended the visitor's advantage in the sixty-seventh minute, as he spotted the Walsall 'keeper off his line, and fired goal-wards from the edge of the area, but Rushworth remained alert to the danger and got back well to prevent the goal.
In the seventy-third minute, Ruel Sotiriou joined those already playing on a caution, as he was shown the yellow card for a foul on White.
The Saddlers went close to pulling a goal back in the seventy-eighth minute, but Labadie's effort from the edge of the area struck the ground and bounced wide of the upright.
Ten minutes from time, Orient opted to make their first change of the afternoon, as Harry Smith made way for Frank Nouble.
A second Orient change followed in the eighty-third minute; Ruel Sotiriou the man to depart as Ethan Coleman joined the fray.
The game settled back into something of a midfield battle as it continued, with both sides seeing plenty of the ball, whilst struggling to find a way through their oppositions defences.
Five additional minutes were added to end the game, during which time, Orient opted to make their third and final change of the afternoon, as they looked to slow things down by replacing captain, Darren Pratley with Jordan Brown.
There was little further action of note and the referee brought a halt to the contest with Leyton Orient winning by two-goals-to-nil. A disappointing display from the Saddlers, who struggled to really get going and never looked all that likely to score.
FT
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WFC
|
0-2
|
LOFC
|
Smith (10') Khan (16')
|
REFEREE
|
Andy Haines
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ATTENDANCE
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4,849 (381)
|
AT
|
Banks's Stadium
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