The future’s bright – the future’s Gaunt!
Sir Ray showed the fans what the future holds last night at Bescot – fielding a youthful side with 11 changes from Saturday. And it was two debutants, Ian Gaunt and Gary Birch, who were Walsall’s match winners, sealing a 2-1 win over Wigan to move into the Mickey Mouse Cup quarter finals and a trip to Stoke next Wednesday.

The match saw Gino Padula, last season’s player of the year, score on his return to Bescot, but defender Gaunt’s last minute winner set the lads up for the massive clash with Wigan on TV this Friday.

Elsewhere Chris Marsh has slammed the club today for demanding a fee despite his 500-odd appearances. Luton and Northampton are believed to be interested – with Cobblers’ boss Kevin Wilson favourite to sign the Saddler.

Share/Save

Walsall’s longest serving current player Chris Marsh has today been placed on the transfer list after discussions with manager Ray Graydon. Although “stepover” Marshy has not figured much in the first team this season, the news comes as a shock to Saddlers fans given Chris’s long service to the club.

Joining as a trainee in 1988, Marsh has made over 400 appearances for the Saddlers, and scored 23 league goals. Chris famously played in goal last season after keeper Jimmy Walker was sent off against Barnsley – a role he also filled a year or two before after a dirty Northampton fella headbutted Walker – unbelievably the ref didn’t even book the lad.

Share/Save

After four months of waiting Saddlers fans woke up Sunday morning finally celebrating an away win, thanks to Jorge Leitao’s classy effort to seal a 1-0 victory at Cambridge.

Ronnie Ekelund started his first game for the Saddlers, replacing Tom Bennett in midfield. The goal came on 13 minutes when Leitao picked a loose ball up inside the Walsall half, advanced to the area, before hitting a low shot that just crept in off the post.

Sir Ray then tried to protect the lead and switched formation – a move advocated by visitors to this site’s message board – taking Angell off and bringing Barras on to move to 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 depending on your view. Anyway, you could say it worked – we didn’t concede – but the jury is still out.

The unexpected win was celebrated even more by Saddlers fans when it emerged Millwall and Wigan had both lost – sending Sir Ray’s men back to the top of the table, and setting up a great league clash at Wigan this Friday night. The two sets of players will have good recent knowledge of each other by then – as the sides meet three days before on Tuesday in the Mickey Mouse cup at Bescot.

Share/Save

One of the least exciting Saddlers games I’ve ever seen tonight – and a shame the dull spectacle was in front of the Sky TV cameras. Yes, we had two genuine penalty shouts in the first half, but the ref wasn’t going to give much tonight – and in truth too many players (pedro, hall etc) had lost the electricity shown in the 5-1 romp on Saturday and had their power off.

Darren Byfield came off the bench to score with virtually his first touch with just 17 minutes to go – but we couldn’t hold it, and a great strike from Sedgewick gave Rotherham a point to send William Hague and the chuckle brothers home happy.

Share/Save

What a difference a week makes. Far away was the memory of the Oxford defeat as Paul Hall raced onto Gabby Bukran’s pass and chipped the ball above the ‘keeper to grab Walsall’s fifth. In the end a pretty easy victory for the home side, but considering four goals came in the second half it was a game of two halves.
Swansea started brightly as both sides tried to get to grips with the pitch, but as the Saddlers calmed a goal would surely come eventually, however Swansea were twice unlucky, Jim Walker turned away a close range effort, and then spilled a cross and was lucky to see the resulting tap-in disallowed for offside.
In the 32nd minute Brett Angell, improving every game, grabbed his first. He bustled into the box and stabbed home past Roger Freestone to give some breathing space at half-time.
After half-time the Saddlers took the game by the scruff of the neck, Dean Keates and Brett Angell both superb. Walsall’s second came as Freestone rushed out, was tackled by Leitao who squared for Angell to side-foot home.
At this point Dean Keates was on fire, for a man of his size he put the big-lads to shame, he bustled and barged through a crowd, strode forward, put the ball onto the wing to Pedro Matias who put in the cross which connected with Jorge Leitao’s glancing header, and Walsall led 3-0.
Swansea drew one back from the spot as Ian Roper’s clumsy challenge allowed Watkin to smash home. But the Saddlers responce was quick Matias crossing from a tight angle for Hall to head home on the line.
After Leitao and Angell, having had a hatrick denied by an offside decision, left to a standing Bescot avasion, Bukran and Wrack came on as Walsall took a 4-5-1 formation.
It was sub Bukran’s pass that led to Hall’s second and Walsall’s fifth, as the game was settled late on.

Share/Save

This was one of the worst performances I’ve seen by a Saddlers side – against an Oxford team that had shipped 54 goals in the league. More importantly, Oxford today had three players signed during the week making their debuts, including a new centre-back pairing. So against a team, low in confidence, and bottom by 7 points, what did we get from Walsall – a display of zero passion, zero industry, and a lack of tactical thought.

Oxford were understandably all over the shop in the first ten minutes, and Walsall should have gone two up. Pedro made a couple of crosses from the left, and Tony Barras blasted over from all of four yards when completely unmarked. But for the superb travelling army of Saddlers supporters, who stood in the ramshackle excuse for an away end that is the Manor Ground, behind archaic fences that give one of the poorest views of a football ground anywhere in the country, in freezing temperatures, that was as good as it got.

I could continue with a match summary, but the performance today was so disappointing by the Saddlers i’m off to watch Match of the Day instead. OK – very quickly then: the first Oxford goal was a result of a terrible error by Bukran, who decided to head the ball into Phil Gray’s path; and their second resulted after their electric winger Hackett skinned Barras and crossed for Gray to convert on the goal line.

Dean Keates did get a brilliant goal 5 minutes from time, but if the Saddlers had got anything out of this game, it would have been a travesty for the effort they put in.

Let’s run through the pertinent questions:
1 – why when graydon promised changes after the swansea defeat, were none forthcoming today?
2 – why bother to sign ekelund when he hasn’t ever had a chance to play?
3 – we need a fourth striker – with leitao out today, and angell looking a few pounds overweight, where was the youngster birch?
4 – give keates a run now – apart from byfield, he was the only one who looked up for it.
5 – if oxford’s director of football can attract players of the calibre of monk (premiership defender) and scott (15 goals for brentford) despite the team being bottom and in trouble – shouldn’t the bescot powers-that-be be working harder?
6 – something’s going badly wrong away from home – give your thoughts on what it is and what should be done on the message board now.

One word for any Oxford fans reading this – with the commitment shown by your board in bringing in players, with people like Joe Kinnear involved, and with sides as shocking as Luton in the dogfight, i think the year is going to get a lot better.

Share/Save

Walsall were knocked out of the F.A Cup but can walk away with their heads held high as they fought West Ham to the end. The Saddlers were brave as they played great football against a very good side, fronted by the talents of Freddy Kanoute, Joe Cole and the brilliant Stuart Pearce. Don’t forget you can give your thoughts on the message board now.

Things started well, Aranalde’s cross reaching Angell who headed just over the bar as Walsall played some high-tempo football. But West Ham’s undoubted quality showed soon after as Kanoutes classy flick set Frank Lampard through to slot home. At this point Walsall could have buckled but they showed true determination to fight back.

Villa may have lost thier Angel, but Walsall’s own had one of his best games for the club today. He won a number of headers down the left were Zigor Aranalde and Darren Wrack were creating the better of Walsall’s attacks. In midfield Bennett and Bukran battled and refused to be over-ran despite the exploits of the brilliant Cole and Kanoute, whilst the defence was sturdy as they fought and niggled, with Tillson and Barras playing exeptionally when under pressure.

After good Walsall pressure a goal came, the ball was squared by Hall and as Song left the ball for Hislop in snuck Darren Wrack to score as Bescot erupted. West Ham reacted by forcing Jim Walker into two class saves and three straight corners, but having survived Walsall could have taken the lead as the half time whistle blew when Jorge Leitao pulled back instead of shooting. But fair to the balance of play, it was 1-1 at half time.

The second half was even, The Saddlers continued to pass about and West Ham seemed content to sit back and attack quickly on the break, this was evident as Walsall’s set play problems continued. A poor corner led to a break away as Joe Cole’s cross met the head of a soaring Karoute who was only ever giong to score. 2-1 West Ham.

Again the Saddlers fought back, Angell could have had a penalty after a Pearce nudge, and Walsall gained a succession of corners as teasing crosses from Hall, Wrack, and the impressive Aranalde were scrambled away. However Walsall were also lucky when Trevor Sinclair’s 30 yard screamer hit the bar, and Super Jimmy Walker was brilliant in making three consecutive superb saves to deny the Hammers forwards.

Kanoute’s quality has been underlined by MOTD in recent weeks, and his 2nd goal oozed class, a 25 yarder fizzing past Walker. At this point Walsall could have felt hard done by, but they stuck to the task. Jorge Leitao, who had been kept firmly in Stuart Pearce’s pocket was replaced by Byfield, Paul Hall came off for Keates as Gabby took to the right flank, and Marsh replaced Brightwell.

Marsh’s introduction was notable as Walsall earned some reward as a Brett Angell poachers goal making the result more respectable. West Ham worthy winners but the Saddlers matching them until the end, watch it on T.V tonight, it was a cracker.
Lad’s were proud of you.

Share/Save

Walsall started the new year by extending thier home record to eight consecutive wins. It was late in coming but the Saddlers throughly deserved it following 90 minutes of domination over the visitors. Walsall had 13 corners, numerous free-kicks, and the lions share of the possesion as they pushed and pushed for a deserved goal that was seemingly not to come. Swindon’s only attempt was a long range shot on the brink of half-time which earned cheers from both sets of fans.

Following recent poor results away from Bescot, The Saddlers had to keep winning at home, and they did everything but score in the first half. Pedro was again brilliant with Aranalde on the left, Paul Hall was putting in some good crosses, the defence was untroubled, and even Brett Angell was playing well. But for all thier approach play we had few clear chances. Gabby Bukran’s drive was parried then cleared off the line, and Brett Angell was thwarthed by a good Bart Griemink block as he ran through on goal, but otherwise Walsall were just dominating the play. At half time it remained goaless.

The second half was much the same, with the Reds pressuring and Swindon hoofing clear, Bukran was guilty of not shooting first time, and Jorge Leitao was twice unlucky when he was blocked by the keeper, and then had a header cleared off the line. Graydon took off Angell for Byfield, and Hall for Wrack as The Saddlers pushed for the goal. But Walsall left it late to get thier winner.

Tony ‘No Frills’ Barras was pushed forward and it came up trumps in the 88th minute. His challenge on the ‘keeper for Darren Wrack’s cross fell to Jorge Leitao who waited agonisingly before firing home as three sides of Bescot exploded with relif. Following the goal ‘No Thrills’ returned to centre back and Leitao was replaced by Keates, as the game ended 1-0.

Share/Save