Walsall: Clayton Ince, Rhys Weston, Daniel Fox, Anthony Gerrard, Darren Wrack, Tommy Mooney (c), Paul Hall (David McDermott), Scott Dann, Mark Bradley, Edrissa Sonko (Ishmel, Demontagnac 60), Michael Rickets (Troy Deeney 78)
Subs: Ian Roper, Bertrand Bossu
Town: Glyn Garner, Darren Moss, Colin Murdock, Kelvin Langmead, Marc Tierney, Marc Pugh, Danny Hall, Stewart Drummond, Steve Leslie, Michael Symes, Stuart Nicholson
Subs: Ben Herd, Neil Ashton, David Hunt, Luke Jones, Ryan Esson
Ref: R Lee
Assistants: C Evans, C Harwood
Fourth Official: S Cummins
Attendance: 4972
Gary Peters makes three changes from the side that lost 2-0 away to Darlington on Tuesday night. In come Marc Pugh, Colin Murdock and Danny Hall while Ben Herd and David Hunt drop to the bench while Dave Hibbert is missing with a slight hamstring.
There was no real pattern emerging in the opening 10-minutes with both sides having some good periods in possession of the ball. Walsall were looking to get the ball into the front two of Mooney and Ricketts while Town's best openings were coming through some good passing moves down the left with Leslie, Hall and Drummond combining well.
Town were pushing the Walsall box well with the ball sticking in the home side's half for a while. There were half chances for Langmead and Nicholson but the Walsall defence were doing their jobs well to snuff out the danger.
Walsall grabbed the opening goal with just over 10-minutes of the game gone and it was a real soft one for the visitors to give away. The ball was with Daniel Fox down the Walsall left and he crossed over a decent ball, Colin Murdock was at the back post and looked to have the ball covered but he then ducked to let the ball run out and it went straight to the head of Michael Ricketts whose header left Garner rooted to the spot while to ball flew into the net.
The game was quite flat after the Walsall goal with neither side getting on top or taking the advantage. Both were seeing the ball and were keeping it well but there was no cutting edge around the boxes.
Town had a decent chance to go back on level terms following a quick break down the right-hand side, the ball came to Michael Symes who then nicked a great ball into Stuart Nicholson as he burst in behind the Saddlers defence, he got in front of his marker and then flicked in a decent effort but Ince was quick off his line as was down quickly to pull off an excellent block.
The Walsall forward line had been quite quiet during the opening half-hour but Mooney was doing his normal game of working hard, winning his aerial battles and making things tick. The home side did create a couple of good opening which both fell to goal scorer Michael Ricketts but his finishing on both times was a little wayward.
Town were looking dangerous around the Saddlers box when Leslie and Nicholson were combining. Leslie was looking the best outlet for the visitors and he was delivering some decent balls and flicks to try and unlock the home defence.
Walsall had become a little quiet around the Town box though with 5-minutes remaining they had a couple of decent half chances the best when a corner dropped to Garner at the back post but he or Mooney couldn't get a clean shot and the ball was smashed wide of the target.
Half-time: 0-1
Town looked buoyed after the restart and kicking towards the travelling Town faithful they took the game to Walsall. First there was an excellent flowing move after Moss had nicked out a Walsall pass, he then pushed the ball to Symes who burst in on goal, he played it to Nicholson who had his back to goal but he laid a great ball back to Symes who drove in a low shot which Ince well to save at his near post. Then more good work from Nicholson as he closed down a Ricketts pass to gain possession, he then burst down the left and into the Walsall box but Ricketts had managed to keep up and got in a block to give a corner away.
Town's best chance came after more good work from Town saw them break down a Walsall attack and then counter with three players against two, Leslie had the ball and was powering down the left and in towards the Walsall box, he then laid if to Nicholson who had lost his marker, he nicked a ball past Ince but the Walsall keeper managed to get the slightest of touches that just took it away from Symes who was coming in at the back post.
Walsall had a good opening after a long ball dropped on the edge of the Town box, Ricketts rose strongest to get the ball off Langmead, he then pushed it to Tommy Mooney who looked for space and then pushed it towards the space that Sonko was running into at the back post, Garner was quickly off his line to try and snuff out the ball but Sonko got possession, with the Town keeper off his line Sonko lifted the ball to the near post but the Walsall header was wide of the post.
Walsall created a good period of pressure after good work round the Town box that saw Ricketss on the edge of the box, Langmead was there to block but Ricketts pushed it between the Town defenders legs to break into the box but Murdock was across quickly to push the ball behind for a corner. The home side then had a string of corners with first Gerrard going close with a header and then a clearance came to Demontagnac on the left hand touchline, he was about 30 yards out but drove in a vicious shot that Garner looked to have covered but with the rain still falling the ball flew between the Town keepers hands and into the net to make it 2-0.
With under quartet of an hour of the game remaining Town made their first change with Ben Herd coming on to replace Darren Moss.
With the two goal cushion the home side were happy to sit and let Town come at them. Town were passing the ball round well to get into the final third but round the box they weren't hurting Walsall.
Walsall were nearly handed another goal after Symes controlled the ball well but over hit his pass to put Drummond under pressure, he stretched for the ball but Demontagnac nicked in and powered between Langmead and Murdock to break into the Town box, but he smashed his shot well over with only Garner to beat.
Full-time: 2-0
