As Anthony Gerrard climbed over the security gates at the Withdean Stadium, he may as well have been carrying a bag marked ‘swag’ – as Walsall had just stolen the points.
The defender found himself locked in at Brighton after his dalliances with the media. He chose to climb out over the ageing concrete turnstiles and fence to reach the team coach.
The 22-year-old and his team had ridden his luck on the pitch and could hardly have been forgiven doing so again, as he raced to make sure the coach didn’t leave without him.
The centre-back was superb aside Stephen Roberts and believes the nine man Saddlers fully merited their 1-0 win, after the dismissals of fellow defenders Rhys Weston and Netan Sansara.
Gerrard said: “It is not just the back four who deserve credit, we are just a cog in the works, it was a team effort, everyone put a shift in.
“If we didn’t all pull in the right way then we could have conceded a goal and only got a draw.”
He admitted the game was a test for the leg weary Saddlers but was surprised how little Brighton managed to create.
He said: “All we wanted to do was to put a shift in and keep them going down one side. They kept crossing it into us, which we were happy to deal with that. They seemed to be playing to our strengths with the crosses.”
Gerrard’s performance also proved his commitment to the Saddlers despite his transfer request in the summer.
He said: “There is no point in sulking and walking around like a little baby.
“I am contracted by Walsall and if something happens in January then something happens. If not, I am still a Walsall player.
“If I wanted to walk around like a baby then I wouldn’t have put in a performance like that.
“You just have to do your job and be professional.”
For the time being, the former Everton youngster is content with life at the Banks’s Stadium and is enjoying the company of his team-mates, a spirit highlighted by their passion on the pitch on Saturday.
He said: “On Friday we had a couple of games of poker and a little quiz, just to get everyone together for a little bit of banter.
“There are no splinter groups, in some clubs there are always little cliques but we are all as one.”
Boss Jimmy Mullen agreed with his star defender and praised the Saddlers’ togetherness in the wake of their extraordinary victory, thanks to Dwayne Mattis’ winner a minute before half-time.
He said: “The spirit is there, it was a fantastic performance, individually and as a group and the atmosphere in the dressing room at half-time was so determined.
“To score the goal in the manner we did must have been a shock to the Brighton lads but the dressing room at the end was quite unbelievable, the place was bouncing and quite rightly so.”
The Saddlers had to win without Michael Ricketts and Mullen is left to play a waiting game on the striker’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s visit of Carlisle.
The Walsall manager said: “He has got a bruised bone on his right instep. We will wait and see.”
2 Comments
Now this one was great fun to write!
Hope you all enjoy, put your rhyming head before you read…….
BRIGHTON AWAY 200908
Went off to the seaside, expecting a hard game,
The sun it shone, five four one, the team never looks the same.
After a few minutes Weston was shown red,
now the game was tougher, ten can win, it’s bin said.
Then Sansara gets a bath and now we’re down to nine,
Never mind the bl**dy weather, now’s the time to shine!
All the players got together and substitutions made,
One and all fought for the ball and put the Seagulls in the shade.
Have you ever seen it, nine men winning for an hour?
Unbelievable sight, Bright-on a motly shower.
Dwain’s goal was overlooked a little, because of the ‘escape’,
I think there will be many players after this games tape.
Well done Jimmy and the boys, you did us very proud,
I for one will be there Sat, screaming in the crowd.
What a team performance from the ‘Men In Black’
Surely Banks’s will now see, the crowds coming back!
“We only need 9 men”. Well done to Jimmy and the lads - a truly uplifting performance which made my weekend. Jimmy has obviously got the team playing for him and I’m glad, he deserves it as he’s a good bloke (unlike some previous managers we could mention). They are doing their bit, now the supporters must do theirs’ by turning up in large numbers at the Banks’s. Up the Saddlers!