On Saturday afternoon, Jon Whitney's in-form Saddlers played host to Coventry City in the latest Sky Bet League 1 clash of the season. We were in attendance, and our match report is below.
Coventry City got us underway, and just ten seconds in, drew a foul from Joe Edwards who launched a wild challenge on Ruben Lameiras, earning himself an early booking in the process.
Five minutes in, the visitors almost created the first chance of the game, as Marvin Sordell played the ball in to Andy Rose at the back post. The referee spotted a foul and the Saddlers regained possession. Walsall were quick to work the ball to the other end, where Erhun Oztumer got the first effort of the afternoon away. Jordan Turnbull blocked the effort and cleared the danger for his team.
Undeterred, the Saddlers continued to press, and ten minutes in, James O'Connor played a long ball to Kieron Morris, who controlled well before making a darting run towards goal and firing a shot straight at Lee Burge, who held the effort with ease.
Some good play from Coventry saw them create a chance thirteen minutes in, as a lovely passing move left Lameiras in shooting range. The midfilders effort was blocked, but the ball fell to Gael Bigirimana whose sliced shot sailed harmlessly wide of the post without troubling Neil Etheridge in the Walsall goal. The visitors continued to press and almost opened the scoring when Lameiras sent a curling effort in from twenty yards out. Luckily for the Saddlers, the ball sailed fractionally wide of the right-hand upright and the score-sheet remained empty.
The visitors continued as the more attacking team as the match progressed, with the Saddlers content to sit back and launch counter-attacks as the opportunity arose. With quarter of an hour of the first half remaining, one such opportunity presented itself as Jason McCarthy broke down the right before cutting the ball back for Andreas Makris. Under pressure, Makris took time to adjust before getting a shot away, his effort sailing wide of the City goal.
With thirty seven minutes on the clock, the visitors opened the scoring. Sordell sending a low cross into the six yard box, where Rose was waiting to turn the ball into the bottom corner.
Five minutes before the break, Scott Laird was added to the referee's notebook, and shortly after Bigirimana joined him as he was booked for what appeared to be a fairly blatant dive inside the box, as he was challenged by Etheridge.
Two additional minutes were added at the end of the forty five, and Walsall almost found an equaliser during them as their side were awarded a free-kick thirty yards from goal. Oztumer played the ball in to Adam Chambers, and the Walsall Skipper sent a lovely effort in from twenty five yards, but the Coventry 'keeper was able to hold and the teams retreated to the dressing rooms with the visitors holding on to their slender lead.
The teams took the field after their half-time refreshments, with no changes made to either side, and the hosts got us back underway, but the visitors won possession quickly and launched an attack with Dan Agyei taking the ball past O'Connor with a burst of pace before blazing the ball well wide from inside the box. A big let off for the Saddlers.
Ten minutes into the half, Sordell raced into the box, skinning McCarthy en route, before firing a shot goal-wards. O'Connor was on hand to block the effort, and the ball fell to Lameiras who saw his effort charged down. The second half continued much as the first had ended, with the visitors applying pressure and the Saddlers soaking it up, and launching counter-attacks when presented with the opportunity. Coventry created some decent chances, but the Walsall defences were equal to them.
Sixty six minutes in, Burge pulled off a fabulous save to deny Edwards, but the Saddlers felt they should have been awarded a penalty as Oztumer was brought down in the box. It appeared to be a clear spot-kick, but the referee waved play on as Morris gathered the loose ball and fired an effort wide.
With twenty minutes still to play, the visitors made a double change as Daniel Agyei and Andy Rose made way for Andre Wright and Jodi Jones. Two minutes after the change, the referee added another name to his notebook, as he cautioned Jordan Turnbull for a late challenge.
Seventy six minutes in, the Saddlers drew level, as Oztumer combined well with Simeon Jackson to work the ball into the box, before firing a left-footed effort neatly into the bottom corner to score his eighth goal in a Walsall shirt.
Two minutes after the goal, the Saddlers made their first change, as Franck Moussa, who had had something of a quiet afternoon, made way for Josh Ginnelly.
Moments after the Walsall change, Morris found his way into the box and fired a powerful effort goal-wards, but Burge was alert and pushed the shot away. Burge was called into action again moments later, to save an eighteen yard effort from the recently introduced Ginnelly.
With just under ten minutes of the match remaining, the visitors made their third and final change of the afternoon, as Kyel Reid took to the field in place of Ruben Lameiras.
Three minutes from time, there was a break in play, as Morris went down inside the centre circle, appearing to be in some discomfort. Worrying moments for the Saddlers as, after a brief spell of treatment, the midfielder's afternoon came to an end as he was helped from the pitch. Liam Kinsella the man to replace him.
Six minutes were added, and substitute Kinsella almost used them to find a winner as the ball fell to him inside the box following some good work from Oztumer, but the ball sailed wide of goal and the scores remained level as the referee brought a halt to the afternoons proceedings. A decent result for both sides, though both had chances to take all three points.
Five minutes in, the visitors almost created the first chance of the game, as Marvin Sordell played the ball in to Andy Rose at the back post. The referee spotted a foul and the Saddlers regained possession. Walsall were quick to work the ball to the other end, where Erhun Oztumer got the first effort of the afternoon away. Jordan Turnbull blocked the effort and cleared the danger for his team.
Undeterred, the Saddlers continued to press, and ten minutes in, James O'Connor played a long ball to Kieron Morris, who controlled well before making a darting run towards goal and firing a shot straight at Lee Burge, who held the effort with ease.
Some good play from Coventry saw them create a chance thirteen minutes in, as a lovely passing move left Lameiras in shooting range. The midfilders effort was blocked, but the ball fell to Gael Bigirimana whose sliced shot sailed harmlessly wide of the post without troubling Neil Etheridge in the Walsall goal. The visitors continued to press and almost opened the scoring when Lameiras sent a curling effort in from twenty yards out. Luckily for the Saddlers, the ball sailed fractionally wide of the right-hand upright and the score-sheet remained empty.
The visitors continued as the more attacking team as the match progressed, with the Saddlers content to sit back and launch counter-attacks as the opportunity arose. With quarter of an hour of the first half remaining, one such opportunity presented itself as Jason McCarthy broke down the right before cutting the ball back for Andreas Makris. Under pressure, Makris took time to adjust before getting a shot away, his effort sailing wide of the City goal.
With thirty seven minutes on the clock, the visitors opened the scoring. Sordell sending a low cross into the six yard box, where Rose was waiting to turn the ball into the bottom corner.
Five minutes before the break, Scott Laird was added to the referee's notebook, and shortly after Bigirimana joined him as he was booked for what appeared to be a fairly blatant dive inside the box, as he was challenged by Etheridge.
Two additional minutes were added at the end of the forty five, and Walsall almost found an equaliser during them as their side were awarded a free-kick thirty yards from goal. Oztumer played the ball in to Adam Chambers, and the Walsall Skipper sent a lovely effort in from twenty five yards, but the Coventry 'keeper was able to hold and the teams retreated to the dressing rooms with the visitors holding on to their slender lead.
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 | HALF TIME
WALSALL 0 COVENTRY CITY 1
The teams took the field after their half-time refreshments, with no changes made to either side, and the hosts got us back underway, but the visitors won possession quickly and launched an attack with Dan Agyei taking the ball past O'Connor with a burst of pace before blazing the ball well wide from inside the box. A big let off for the Saddlers.
Ten minutes into the half, Sordell raced into the box, skinning McCarthy en route, before firing a shot goal-wards. O'Connor was on hand to block the effort, and the ball fell to Lameiras who saw his effort charged down. The second half continued much as the first had ended, with the visitors applying pressure and the Saddlers soaking it up, and launching counter-attacks when presented with the opportunity. Coventry created some decent chances, but the Walsall defences were equal to them.
Sixty six minutes in, Burge pulled off a fabulous save to deny Edwards, but the Saddlers felt they should have been awarded a penalty as Oztumer was brought down in the box. It appeared to be a clear spot-kick, but the referee waved play on as Morris gathered the loose ball and fired an effort wide.
With twenty minutes still to play, the visitors made a double change as Daniel Agyei and Andy Rose made way for Andre Wright and Jodi Jones. Two minutes after the change, the referee added another name to his notebook, as he cautioned Jordan Turnbull for a late challenge.
Seventy six minutes in, the Saddlers drew level, as Oztumer combined well with Simeon Jackson to work the ball into the box, before firing a left-footed effort neatly into the bottom corner to score his eighth goal in a Walsall shirt.
Two minutes after the goal, the Saddlers made their first change, as Franck Moussa, who had had something of a quiet afternoon, made way for Josh Ginnelly.
Moments after the Walsall change, Morris found his way into the box and fired a powerful effort goal-wards, but Burge was alert and pushed the shot away. Burge was called into action again moments later, to save an eighteen yard effort from the recently introduced Ginnelly.
With just under ten minutes of the match remaining, the visitors made their third and final change of the afternoon, as Kyel Reid took to the field in place of Ruben Lameiras.
Three minutes from time, there was a break in play, as Morris went down inside the centre circle, appearing to be in some discomfort. Worrying moments for the Saddlers as, after a brief spell of treatment, the midfielder's afternoon came to an end as he was helped from the pitch. Liam Kinsella the man to replace him.
Six minutes were added, and substitute Kinsella almost used them to find a winner as the ball fell to him inside the box following some good work from Oztumer, but the ball sailed wide of goal and the scores remained level as the referee brought a halt to the afternoons proceedings. A decent result for both sides, though both had chances to take all three points.
SKY BET LEAGUE 1 | RESULT
WALSALL 1 COVENTRY CITY 1
HALF TIME SCORE | 0-1
GOALS | Oztumer (76') -- Rose (36')
ATTENDANCE | 6,719 (1,981 Coventry)
REFEREE | Mr. Dean Whitestone