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Blog: Mark Jones' annual awards for Walsall

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Safe at last- thanks to a draw at Swindon - so I can safely reflect on the season with my own take on Walsall's End of Season Awards, writes blogger Mark Jones.

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Player of the Season

For most it's a straight choice between Super Tom, 18 goals and counting for the season despite missing around 20 games, and goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell with 21 clean sheets.

Adam Chambers

We already knew what ROD could do and he has been little short of phenomenal all year, it's fair to say Wembley would still be something we could only dream about without him.

As for Tom, I saw enough on the opening day at Vale to see that he could give us something different up front.

Both are class acts who'd be difficult to replace so, hopefully, we won't have to.

I can't choose between them so, fortunately, I don't have to because my vote is going to the unsung hero of the team, the man who makes us tick – Adam Chambers.

Basically when he plays well, the whole team plays well and I think he's been consistently good all year.

No one would've deserved that walk up the steps to lift a trophy more than Adam - which is why he'll have to make sure we go back there next year.

Young Player of the Season

Despite a late surge from Kieron Morris, who is really taking his end of season chance, as well as an early surge from Liam Kinsella, it has to be the exciting Rico Henry.

If someone had told you he was on loan from a Premier League club you wouldn't dispute it. Rico could make a huge impact next season, giving him a new contract was a very clever move.

Honourable mentions should go to the entire youth-team for another successful season, culminating in Monday's Midland Youth Cup Final victory over Shrewsbury Town.

They seem to be a close-knit group of lads and the togetherness, desire and will to win they display is extremely encouraging. Well done to them and the backroom staff.

Jordan Cook celebrates his first goal for Walsall.

Individual Goal of the Season

Unquestionably, it has to be the screamer that was Jordan Cook's first at home to Barnsley.

A beautiful strike on the volley back across goal from what appeared to be a cleverly worked corner routine. It was a goal from the moment it left his foot. More of those in the next 12 months please.

Team Goal of the Season

For the build-up, moment in the game and quality of opposition I've got to go for Romaine's late equaliser in the league game with Bristol City.

Trailing to an early opener, we'd put in a fine performance against the leaders, more than matching them on the day.

But we looked odds on for another blank, until 'Mainy' rounded off a terrific move with a quality finish.

For all the plaudits I've already given to Bradshaw, O'Donnell and Co, Sawyers is a genuine class act.

He always strikes me as a kid who is happy just playing football for us and almost everything of quality we create involves him. I just wish everyone could see it.

Best Game

If there's one game I'd be happy to relive this season, it would be the Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Preston, the first leg away from home.

We'd come back from Tranmere daring to dream, but PNE at Deepdale was the hardest tie possible.

On a filthy night, which incidentally makes for perfect football conditions, backed by a big, proud and noisy hardcore of Saddlers fans we saw that dream take a huge stride towards becoming a reality.

Outplayed in the first half hour, still in the game by some truly remarkable goalkeeping from O'Donnell, we kept PNE at arm's length until their threat fizzled out.

Anthony Forde celebrates.

To be fair, we'd all have taken 0-0 and happily gone back to the Banks's Stadium.

And then, in the 82nd and 88th minutes, Anthony Forde's perfect free kick was followed up by Super Tom's predatory finish, that slid into the net in a beautiful way.

The next two games in the competition were memorable in their own way but this was the night that made it all possible.

It's nights like that which make you remember just why you love football and why you love Walsall.

Worst Game

Yeovil, Colchester, Crewe, Scunny, Cov, Notts at home, Scunny and Chesterfield away all are contenders.

The 4-0 loss at Rochdale was pretty spectacular, but we should never ever dismiss an FA Cup exit in Shropshire lightly.

Fan of the Year

There are always more unsung contenders than could possibly receive attention.

The 99 who sat in the away end at Spotland for the first game of the JPT run, just three weeks after the League One debacle, deserve credit.

There were many many stories of fans for whom that day out in North London was special.

Graeme Brooks takes a rest at his dad's Bloxwich home after his 138 mile charity walk from Walsall to Wembley

But to walk from Bescot to Wembley to raise money for the Walsall Society for the Blind charity (@Walsall2Wembley) takes some doing. Well done to you, Graeme Brooks.

Worst Fan of the Year

We don't really want this at all, but a bloke close to me at Crewe deserves it for tearing strips off Sawyers for losing the ball.

It came with with such bile and ferocity that he was still droning on after our No 10 had won the ball back - as he does more often than he gets credit for - and bamboozled two opponents. Grow up a bit.

Opposition Team of the Season

No question – Bristol City. What other season have the runaway leaders taken an interest in the JPT though?

Opposition Player of the Season

Take your pick - Luke Freeman, Mark Little, Aden Flint from the Champions, Rochdale's Ian Henderson, Preston frontman Joe Garner (if only he could stay on his feet), Andy Williams at Swindon – they've all had great seasons.

Gary Roberts at Chesterfield has been a consistently good performer at our level for years and, grudgingly, I'd have to say Tom Pope is always a threat whenever we meet.

There's a late entry for Swindon too though. Local boy Iain Williamson had a stormer for them this week, wiping out our two goal lead in no time. Muppet.

Dean Holden

Opposition Manager of the Season

We've not actually met him yet but there can be only one contender. He's big and he's Holden and he's number five. Will be good to see you again Dean.

Best Opposition Fans

Fair play to the Preston fans who backed their team to the end in the second leg even when it was obviously not going to be their night.

If the roles had been reversed, we'd have done the same, we've been in that situation plenty of times.

Worst Opposition Fans

Plenty of contenders, but Crystal Palace's acclaimed 'fanatics' (yawn) celebrating a Milton Keynes win was pretty nauseating. Which reminds me – MK's following is pretty pathetic too.

Worst Moment

When Jordan Cook's deflected cross shot came back off the post and wouldn't drop for anyone.

We'd suspected it for about an hour, we'd been outplayed, we hadn't done ourselves justice but from that moment we knew March 22nd wasn't going to be our day, on the pitch at least.

Best Moment

An easy one this, it was around 9.45 on a chilly Saturday morning in February.

After a couple of hours of waiting around with plenty of like-minded individuals, I finally got to experience what it's like to have a ticket to watch Walsall at Wembley.

A couple of hours waiting for something I'd waited a lifetime for - priceless.

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