Report from the ground and the Fat Controller.

The second half, for some reason, soon degenerated into a somewhat dour midfield battle. Whether this was because Huddersfield took their foot off the gas, or Walsall were competing better, it’s difficult to say, but chances were very, very few and far between.

Certainly the lads were getting stuck in more and managed to get forward more, but the attacks were generally too tentative.

Kinsella had to go off and was replaced by youth team striker McDermott, who had a reasonable chance, but put it far too close to the keeper.

Eventually, Huddersfield took a long throw and Bennett was easily beaten by Pavel Abbott after Westwood was again given problems by Booth on the near post.

Well, this was a game no one expected anything from, with a trip to the team lying in second place in the table, but this defeat just puts more and more pressure on the side. Walsall now have a mere 17 points from 14 games and that is relegation form. In fact, if you take the first two games out of the equation, the Saddlers have taken only 11 points from the last 36. Like it or not, the run of bad form is becoming a dangerous slide and a home win next week is imperative. Whether that’s possible, when Swindon’s goalless draw means we now have the worst defensive record in the Division and only ex Saddler Karl Hawley’s goal against Mansfield prevented us from going bottom of the entire heap, defensively, remains to be seen.

On top of that, the Bag Ladies beat Arsenal, Chelsea got five in the second half and Manchester United three. Perfect day.

Huddersfield Town 2 Walsall 1 - Direct from the ground and the Fat Controller.

Player Manager Paul Merson, despite his injury problems, turned out an eleven at the Galpharm this afternoon that actually had more experience and a higher average age than last week’s team.

The line up was 4 5 1 and consisted of:-

Ruddy, Pead, Westwood, Bennett, Fox, Leitao, Smith, Kinsella, Broad, Demontagnac and Fryatt.

The line up didn’t seem to make much difference, however, as high flying Huddersfield dominated possession. The Saddlers were defending well, however, and kept the home side at bay, despite Worthington hitting the post. That was all to change on fifteen minutes, when Westwood misjudged a ball under pressure from Abbott and the ball broke to Booth, who Bennett had left completely unmarked and the big man smacked it into the corner, as Ruddy also hesitated when he might have come out to clear the danger. A complete rick all round.

Walsall did manage to get a goal back, however, when a superbly taken free kick from Kinsella found the head of Paul Smith, whose looping header found the bottom corner.

Leitao had the Saddler’s other chance in the half, but shot into the side netting and the defence again decided to go walk about three minutes later, when Fox was skinned like a rabbit down the flank and Pawel Abbott managed to get to the front of the very long unmarked queue to score his 50th career League goal.

Larossa came on to replace Fryatt as the lone striker, as Matty was injured. The Fat Controller says that he did not look particularly interested anyway.

The only bright spot at half time is that the weather is getting better in Huddersfield and Chelsea are losing at home.