Walsall boss Lee Grant has admitted his team deserved to lose after watching them exit the Emirates FA Cup at the First Round stage on Saturday afternoon.Taking on League Two rivals Newport County at Rodney Parade, the Saddlers opened the scoring via Andy Dallas' second goal of the season, before a Kion Etete brace either side of Michael Adu-Poku's first goal since joining on loan from Watford saw the home side ease to victory.
Speaking to Express & Star reporter Jack Dakin, Lee was first asked whether his team deserved their defeat, to which he said: “On the balance of we’ve conceded three goals and only scored one, absolutely.
"There’s other metrics in the game you might look at and go, ‘well, we were competitive here, and we were competitive there, and we had good chances there’, but we can’t concede three bad goals.
"I said to Hayden there in the tunnel, we just had a good chat after the game, and we deserved to lose that game if we’re going to concede three bad goals.
"Having the start we had, to go one-nil up, and then to find yourself two-one down, but still feel like there’s lots of opportunity for you in the game and create probably the three best clear-cut chances in the first half.
"Should’ve scored, but didn’t, and then again, if you’re going to concede a bad goal in the second half, where we have two opportunities to clear and don’t, you’re going to give yourself a huge mountain to climb."
"There’s other metrics in the game you might look at and go, ‘well, we were competitive here, and we were competitive there, and we had good chances there’, but we can’t concede three bad goals.
"I said to Hayden there in the tunnel, we just had a good chat after the game, and we deserved to lose that game if we’re going to concede three bad goals.
"Having the start we had, to go one-nil up, and then to find yourself two-one down, but still feel like there’s lots of opportunity for you in the game and create probably the three best clear-cut chances in the first half.
"Should’ve scored, but didn’t, and then again, if you’re going to concede a bad goal in the second half, where we have two opportunities to clear and don’t, you’re going to give yourself a huge mountain to climb."
