This was about as depressing as you can get. With the team needing to get points away from home, Merson decided to go for a 4 4 2, with Nicholls up front and James on the left wing. It didn’t work.

Everything that had been good recently was missing, as the only chances the Saddlers had were from long range.

In the meantime, Cureton missed a sitter with a close range free header, Oakes produced a super save from Peacock, then another from Cureton, before, finally, the ex Reading man and the bain of Walsall so many times, scored with a tremendous volley from 15 yards.

It’s difficult to find much positive to say.