On Saturday afternoon, Walsall Football Club travelled North to take on Blackpool in the latest Sky Bet League 1 fixture of the season. Columnist Pete Sadler was in attendance, and you can read his latest match report below.
As away fixtures fall a trip to free-falling Blackpool on Bank Holiday weekend with the sun shining is a pretty fortuitous one.
Even more fortuitous was that I was invited away by my significant other and her family who had booked the trip well in advance of the fixture release. Frankly the only thing that was missing was the other half of Pistory (ie. the one and only Cory Lees). All that it needed was an on-field performance to make it a perfect day/weekend.
I personally arrived in Blackpool on Friday night and was thoroughly 'entertained' by a singing RE Teacher. Awaking to a full fry-up and a meander up Blackpool Tower I arrived nice and early at Bloomfield Road just as the team was being announced. Whilst Rico Henry retained his starting place after the mid-week winner against Brighton in favour of Milan Lalkovic, Kieron Morris was dropped to the bench as Dean Smith selected Romaine Sawyers in an advanced role. Both replaced players can be slightly aggrieved after strong performances but shows how far the club have come from last season already.
The game began with the Saddlers on the front foot but a disciplined Blackpool side was resolute in defence and maintained a threat on the counter-attack. With a clear conflict in styles between the sides, the home side preferring a direct game as opposed to the patient possession game of the visitors it made for intriguing viewing if not nail biting on my part.
The nerves were settled slightly on the 25th minute with a slid through ball down the right from Jason Demetriou which fed the run of Sawyers leaving the Walsall number 10 to cooly slot home through the keepers legs. Chants of 'We are top of the league' rang out almost instantly...thank you for teaching us that Coventry!
Thoughts of an easy game from that point were swiftly put to bed as the Tangerines nearly struck back on the counter attack, Jack Redshaw firing narrowly wide of Neil Etheridge's right-hand post. In saying that, Walsall had a chance late on in the half with Sam Mantom firing just wide. 1-0 at the break was probably a fair reflection on the balance of play. Time to breathe and pinch myself at the reality that little-old-Walsall are top of the league.
Even more fortuitous was that I was invited away by my significant other and her family who had booked the trip well in advance of the fixture release. Frankly the only thing that was missing was the other half of Pistory (ie. the one and only Cory Lees). All that it needed was an on-field performance to make it a perfect day/weekend.
I personally arrived in Blackpool on Friday night and was thoroughly 'entertained' by a singing RE Teacher. Awaking to a full fry-up and a meander up Blackpool Tower I arrived nice and early at Bloomfield Road just as the team was being announced. Whilst Rico Henry retained his starting place after the mid-week winner against Brighton in favour of Milan Lalkovic, Kieron Morris was dropped to the bench as Dean Smith selected Romaine Sawyers in an advanced role. Both replaced players can be slightly aggrieved after strong performances but shows how far the club have come from last season already.
The game began with the Saddlers on the front foot but a disciplined Blackpool side was resolute in defence and maintained a threat on the counter-attack. With a clear conflict in styles between the sides, the home side preferring a direct game as opposed to the patient possession game of the visitors it made for intriguing viewing if not nail biting on my part.
The nerves were settled slightly on the 25th minute with a slid through ball down the right from Jason Demetriou which fed the run of Sawyers leaving the Walsall number 10 to cooly slot home through the keepers legs. Chants of 'We are top of the league' rang out almost instantly...thank you for teaching us that Coventry!
Thoughts of an easy game from that point were swiftly put to bed as the Tangerines nearly struck back on the counter attack, Jack Redshaw firing narrowly wide of Neil Etheridge's right-hand post. In saying that, Walsall had a chance late on in the half with Sam Mantom firing just wide. 1-0 at the break was probably a fair reflection on the balance of play. Time to breathe and pinch myself at the reality that little-old-Walsall are top of the league.
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 - HALF TIME
BLACKPOOL 0 - 1 WALSALL
After answering the call of nature at halftime I waited as did we all for the Saddlers to reemerge from the changing room. Maybe that had an effect of poking the beast, in the form of Redshaw who was presented the ball following a lapse in possession on the edge of the Blackpool box, only to shoot off target. A warning perhaps.
Rico Henry was a constant thorn in the side of the opposition down the left-hand side, both in defence and attack, and it was from the youth product that Walsall doubled their lead. A low driven cross from near the by-line towards Tom Bradshaw who would have had a tap-in, was actually turned home by Blackpool centre back Tom Aldred.
The safety of a two-goal cushion allowed the Saddlers to relax and express themselves a little more, nobody is a better exponent of a relaxed style in the Walsall side than Sawyers. The St Kitts and Nevisian international burst into the right-hand side of the Blackpool box and cut the ball back to Bradshaw who struck a thunderous drive against the upright of Kyle Letheren's goal frame. If the travelling Saddlers needed a reason to shout/sing this lit the touch paper...but in reality they were in fantastic voice all afternoon.
The third goal came not long later and it was Demetriou crossing to the back post from the right-hand byline straight into the path of Mantom who headed the ball powerfully past the keeper before celebrating right in front of the travelling hoard of away fans. Celebrations a plenty, and not just from me that had him as an anytime goalscorer. Thanks Sammy!
With a comfortable lead the Ginger Mourinho took the opportunity to rest the legs of Rico and on came Anthony Forde. A more than capable replacement and a player that I really want to see kick on and press for a regular starting berth. The substitution had no bearing on what happened next however. If you haven't seen the goal on TV then I recommend YouTube-ing it. Sawyers collected the ball on the left-hand side, turned and rifled a shot into the top right-hand corner of Letheren's net. Postage stamp. An absolute worldie to add I his growing collection of impressive strikes. 4-0 and now I'm pinching myself thinking this isn't real.
Two further changes, with Bradshaw making way for Jordan Cook and Reece Flanagan departing the pitch as James Baxendale entered the fray. Normally about now with the Saddlers you expect them to concede some sloppy goal(s) to take the shine off the fantastic display. Nothing of the sort, a sign which I hope shows the solidarity and togetherness of the squad. Impressive from back to front against yes, a limited challenge. You can only beat what is ahead of you as the cliché goes. And we did.
Hard to select one Man of the Match, but if pressed I'd say that the (Ro)main(e) man was on fire today and should get the award. Let's just hope that we can keep this bright, vibrant and hungry squad together as a whole beyond the end of the transfer window and maybe get in a couple more strong players to enhance what is a very good squad at this level. Very happy Pistol.
Rico Henry was a constant thorn in the side of the opposition down the left-hand side, both in defence and attack, and it was from the youth product that Walsall doubled their lead. A low driven cross from near the by-line towards Tom Bradshaw who would have had a tap-in, was actually turned home by Blackpool centre back Tom Aldred.
The safety of a two-goal cushion allowed the Saddlers to relax and express themselves a little more, nobody is a better exponent of a relaxed style in the Walsall side than Sawyers. The St Kitts and Nevisian international burst into the right-hand side of the Blackpool box and cut the ball back to Bradshaw who struck a thunderous drive against the upright of Kyle Letheren's goal frame. If the travelling Saddlers needed a reason to shout/sing this lit the touch paper...but in reality they were in fantastic voice all afternoon.
The third goal came not long later and it was Demetriou crossing to the back post from the right-hand byline straight into the path of Mantom who headed the ball powerfully past the keeper before celebrating right in front of the travelling hoard of away fans. Celebrations a plenty, and not just from me that had him as an anytime goalscorer. Thanks Sammy!
With a comfortable lead the Ginger Mourinho took the opportunity to rest the legs of Rico and on came Anthony Forde. A more than capable replacement and a player that I really want to see kick on and press for a regular starting berth. The substitution had no bearing on what happened next however. If you haven't seen the goal on TV then I recommend YouTube-ing it. Sawyers collected the ball on the left-hand side, turned and rifled a shot into the top right-hand corner of Letheren's net. Postage stamp. An absolute worldie to add I his growing collection of impressive strikes. 4-0 and now I'm pinching myself thinking this isn't real.
Two further changes, with Bradshaw making way for Jordan Cook and Reece Flanagan departing the pitch as James Baxendale entered the fray. Normally about now with the Saddlers you expect them to concede some sloppy goal(s) to take the shine off the fantastic display. Nothing of the sort, a sign which I hope shows the solidarity and togetherness of the squad. Impressive from back to front against yes, a limited challenge. You can only beat what is ahead of you as the cliché goes. And we did.
Hard to select one Man of the Match, but if pressed I'd say that the (Ro)main(e) man was on fire today and should get the award. Let's just hope that we can keep this bright, vibrant and hungry squad together as a whole beyond the end of the transfer window and maybe get in a couple more strong players to enhance what is a very good squad at this level. Very happy Pistol.
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 - RESULT
BLACKPOOL 0 - 4 WALSALL
GOALS | Sawyers (25' & 74') Aldred OG (57'), Mantom (67')
ATTENDANCE | 7,489* (1,803 Walsall)
REFEREE | Mr. Eddie Ilderton (Tyne & Wear)
BY PETE SADLER | @Pistol_PeteS9