A dreadful second half performance saw the odds of Walsall having to spend next season in the lowest tier of League football look ever more likely.

Blackpool started the half looking lively, just as they did in the first half, but this time the Saddlers’ defence wasn’t able to cope, as first Roper was lucky to escape with only a yellow card, after bringing down Parker, then Gerrard gave Williams far too much space to fire home.

Confidence just seemed to drain away, as then Westwood made an error to let in Southern and Oakes made a mess of his dive for the ball to nestle in the corner.

After that, there was little chance of Walsall recovering, as the midfield was just not functioning and the afternoon got easier and easier for the home side.

Almost no positives to be drawn from this game, it has to be said, although no real judgement can be made of Claridge’s performance, as he got no decent possession all afternoon.

The Fat Controller reporting in from Bloomfield Road.

The home side had much the better of the possession in the first half, but without troubling a solid looking Saddlers defence too much.

The dry pitch and the wind are conspiring to make this a very scrappy game, with neither side able to put together any real moves of consequence.

Blackpool started brightly and have had well over 50% of the possession, playing with the wind behind them, but looked unlikely to break down the Walsall defence. There were only two real chances for the home side, both of which came from defensive errors, by Westwood and Roper, plus one long range shot towards the end, while, at the other end, Devlin and Claridge have failed so far to find an understanding. All the same, Devlin should have possibly done better with a chance from a Keates corner.

The biggest disappointment so far, for the Fat Controller, is the fact that Mark Wright has not been taking on his marker, the former England midfielder Jason Wilcox. There may well be scope for advancement there.

Kevan Broadhurst has decided to go with a 4 4 2 this afternoon, bringing Oakes, Osborn and Mills straight back, and giving Claridge the 22nd debut of his long career. The line up is:

Oakes, Westwood, Gerrard, Roper, Fox, Wright, Osborn, Mills, Keates, Devlin, Claridge.

Subs are: Fitzgerald, Barrowman, Timm, Leary, Gilmartin