Walsall were back in League Two action on Saturday afternoon as interim head coach Darren Byfield looked to steady the ship following Mat Sadler's mid-week sacking.With his side winning just two of their last fourteen games, Byfield was faced with a difficult task as he hoped to avoid falling further behind in the race to secure a place in the Play-Offs.
Crewe began the game brightly, with Reece Hutchinson setting up a shot for Conor Thomas just three minutes into the contest, but his effort from outside the box sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
Walsall were quick to work the ball up to the other end following the early Crewe chance, with Mason Hancock crossing the ball into the box for Daniel Kanu, who saw a shot blocked, before Charlie Lakin collected the loose ball and crossed it back in for Albert Adomah who flicked past Alex 'keeper, Ian Lawlor to give the Saddlers an early lead.
The hosts looked to respond quickly to falling a goal behind, and won a corner in the eighth minute as Rico Browne turned the ball out of play. Jack Powell swung the ball in from the flag-kick, for Mickey Demetriou, but the defenders headed effort went over the crossbar.
Priestley Farquharson became the first player to draw the attentions of the referee, as he was shown the yellow card just twelve minutes into the contest, following a foul on Josh March.
Crewe continued to seek to get back on level terms as the contest continued, with Matús Holícek firing an effort in from outside the box, in the fourteenth minute, but Walsall shot-stopper, Myles Roberts, was alert to the danger and made the save.
Alfie Pond joined Farquharson in the referee's notebook, in the sixteenth minute, as he was cautioned for a foul on Kanu.
Things settled after that, with Crewe seeing plenty of the ball but failing to create anything to trouble the Walsall defences.
The visiting side could have doubled their advantage, in the twenty-fifth minute, as Jamie Jellis played the ball through for Adomah, but the strikers shot from outside the area sailed wide of the uprighy.
As we reached the half hour mark, Ian Lawlor joined those playing on a caution, as the 'keeper was shown the yellow card for a foul on Kanu, in a move which also saw the Saddlers awarded a penalty. Kanu stepped forth to take the spot-kick, but Lawlor made up for his error as he made the save.
Lawlor was called into action again in the thirty-sixth minute, as Hancock tried his luck from outside the box, but the 'keeper was able to get to the ball to keep his side just the one goal behind.
Walsall continued to search for a second goal, with Jid Okeke playing in Kanu, in the thirty-eighth minute, but the striker's downward header struck the post moments before Jellis saw a shot blocked.
There was a brief halt to proceedings in the forty-fifth minute, allowing Browne to receive some attention from the Walsall medical team, but he was soon back on his feet and able to continue.
One additional minute was added to end the first-half, but there was little further action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments, with Adomah's fourth-minute goal enough to separate the sides.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and the match got back underway. Walsall began the second-half on the front-foot, with Jellis seeing a low cross cleared only as far as Okeke, allowing the striker a shot at goal just two minutes after the restart, but Lawlor was well positioned to make the save.
The Saddlers continued to press, with Lakin heading the ball on for Kanu, whose shot from outside the box was comfortably saved by the Crewe 'keeper.
With fifty-two minutes on the clock, the hosts chose to make their first substitutions of the game, with Jack Powell and Reece Hutchinson making way for Omar Bogle and James Connolly.
Rico Browne joined those playing on a caution, as he was shown the yellow card in the fifty-fifth minute, following a foul on Tommi O'Reilly.
Things remained fairly settled for a while after that, with the hosts seeing much of the ball, but failing to make use of the possession with any meaningful efforts on goal.
There was a brief halt to proceedings, in the sixty-fifth minute, as Rico Browne went down again. It was soon determined that he would be unable to continue, and Aaron Pressley was introduced in his place. The Walsall bench also took the opportunity to switch out Jid Okeke, whose place was filled by Vincent Harper.
Twenty minutes from time, Walsall found themselves in position to double their advantage, as a Thomas block fell kindly for Pressley, whose effort on goal only narrowly missed the target.
Crewe chose to use their remaining substitutions in the seventy-second minute, with Josh March, Conor Thomas and Matús Holícek making way for Emre Tezgel, Max Sanders and Jack Lankester.
Walsall also took the opportunity to introduce more fresh legs, as Jamie Jellis was replaced by Alex Pattison.
Sanders was quick to get involved in the action, as he crossed a dangerous ball in, in the seventy-seventh minute, for Connolly, whose headed effort was well saved by an alert Roberts.
The Saddlers chose to make another change to their line-up nine minutes from time, as Daniel Kanu saw his place taken by Kacper Łopata.
With just seven minutes of the game remaining, Walsall doubled their advantage, as the side broke with the ball, allowing Adomah to feed Pressley who slotted home at the near post from close range.
Five additional minutes were added to end the match, and the Saddlers needed just one of them to put the game to bed; Pattison breaking with the ball and playing in Adomah, who dinked the ball over Lawlor from the centre of the box.
Brandon Comley saw his name taken by the referee, in the final of the five added minutes, as he was shown the yellow card following a foul on O'Reilly.
That would prove to be the final action of note, as the game was brought to its conclusion with Walsall responding to the departure of former manager, Mat Sadler, by taking all three points on the road, as they beat Crewe by three-goals-to-nil.
| ADOMAH (4') PRESSLEY (83') ADOMAH (90+1') |
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| AT | MORNFLAKE STADIUM |
| REFEREE | STEPHEN PARKINSON |