Of course, you could have a report full of footballing cliches. You know, game of two halves, earning the right to play, etc, but, instead, we’ll leave it as manager Richard Money passed another test yesterday, in how to change things at half time.
Back into the 11 came Roper for Scott ZiDann, as Money decided to give the youngster a rest, and Sam for Bedeau, leaving what seem to be DDs preferred starting XI.
Mansfield’s intentions were obvious from the start, as they lined up in a 4 5 1, designed to try and wrest any midfield control from the home side, or at least prevent chances being made. For the first forty five minutes, they certainly succeeded in that. With them playing a very cautious game and the Saddlers defending superbly as a unit (the number of times the visitors had possession, only to have to end up passing back to the ‘keeper was very noticable), neither side looked like making a break through, as the strikers were starved of decent possession.
The home back four looked extremely comfortable, except for a couple of occasions when Roper and, notably, Gerrard, lost their footing. We looked as punchless, however, as our best moves all seemed to end up putting Mark Wright into good positions and he was having one of his less effective halves.
The talk in the F2G at half time was all about how DD was going to change things. Most seemed to prefer a change in the personnel, with Bedeau for Wright being the most widely held opinion. Certainly, a lot of managers would have been tempted to put more attacking players on, but not Money. As he said in his post match interview, he decided to match Mansfield’s five in the middle and bank on the fact that he was sure his players could out pass their opponents. On came Craig Pead for Hector Sam.
It worked almost immediately. Dobson and Keates started to get more time on the ball and they both blossomed. Wright started to pay with more confidence and get past his man and Pead himself looked all the time to make a better link with the now lone striker.
Mansfield still had the first chance of the half (and almost the match) however, when Ince failed to hold a long range drive, but Roper was first to react. Butler then came close to capitalising on a similar incident at the other end.
After 5 minutes, however, Pead won the ball in the Mansfield half, Butler was slipped in on the right hand side of the area, his pull back found Pead, who hit a tremendous left foot drive, which goalkeeper White could only parry into the path of Mark Wright, who gleefully volleyed home.
The game now started to open out, as the visitors had to show more ambition and Walsall were indebted to Ince another ten or so minutes in, when he went full length to tip a goal bound free kick around the post.
Shortly afterwards, however, Hjelde (not for the first time) gave away a free kick for shirt pulling on Butler, towards the right of the Mansfield penalty area. Keates curled it around the end of the wall and White got there, only to allow the shot to squirm under his body. 2 - 0 and surely safe.
Ince had his weekly “walk about” from one cross, but the ref blew up for a foul in the end and top scorer Hamshaw dragged a shot wide, but Mansfield now looked blown.
With a quarter of an hour to go, some superbly slick passing put Mark Wright in the clear and he produced a cross of sublime quality to find Keates, whose glancing header found the far corner for his fifth of the season and to spark off the chants of “It’s just like watching Brazil”.
On came Bedeau and Demontagnac to replace Fox and Wright, both to look very effective. The dangerous Hamshaw produced another long range effort which Ince did well with, but the scoring was completed by the Saddlers.
Mansfield gave away a clear hand ball on the very edge of the left hand side of their area. Keates, not unaturally, smashed it in low and hard, looking for his hat trick, but Anthony Gerrard got a foot to it to smash it into the roof of the net.
MoM? Keates got the sponsors award for an all action second half and two goals, but Dobson, Butler and Westwood couldn’t have been far behind, as was Pead for his 45 minutes. My vote, however, would probably go to DD for an inspired tactical sustitution.
The only downside was the element in the lower F2G who chanted all through the announcement when they read out the letter of thanks from Matt Gadsby’s widow. Perhaps they ought to wash their ears out and be more aware of what’s going on.
