Walsall blog: The Collapse

A game of two halves, 2-0 is a dangerous lead, you have to take your chances when you're on top, it's not over 'til the fatboy slim, if you're a goalkeeper - don't let the ball trickle through your legs and over the goal-line.

Take whichever cliche you like, Saturday's defeat to Huddersfield was a massively frustrating and disappointing one.

Unlike the collapse against Hartlepool way back, where they had created chance after chance all game, on 42 minutes last Saturday there was only going to be one winner – us.

I actually think the football we played up to the Town's opener was some of the best I'd seen from the Saddlers all season. We passed the ball well, there was good movement and we created bags of chances – if only Sofiene Zaaboub had a right foot.

Unfortunately goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin's howler let Huddersfield back into a game that they'd barely had a sniff of since the exchanges in the opening 10 minutes.

Sadly another sloppy piece of defending wiped out our lead before the half-time whistle and made Terriers boss Lee Clark's teamtalk considerably easier. They knew they had been let off the hook and set about us accordingly in the second half.

It was absolutely no surprise when they took the lead, or that they held onto it comfortably to see out the match and make off with the three points.

Unfortunately the Saddlers' reaction was equally as predictable. Where we had stroked the ball about confidently in the first half, we could barely string two passes together, where we looked like carving open the Terriers at will in the first 45 - OK 42 minutes - we offered little threat in the second.

How we could have done with a Martin O'Connor or maybe a Dean Keates - yes there is a hint there - out on the pitch to get us back on track.

Although I hate to criticise a young keeper, it was Rene's huge error that was pivotal to our collapse. When you go in at half-time level in a game you've dominated it has to have a crushing effect on confidence, especially for the more inexperienced players.

Gilmartin has made reasonable progress during his recent run, he made one quality save from Danny Cadamarteri early on and took a couple of good catches, but he surely can only be considered as our number two keeper for now.

If one thing has come out of Saturday's result, it is that Clayton Ince should be the number one choice for the jersey next season. Any thoughts of saving a few quid by letting him go better have been jettisoned at around 3:42pm - otherwise 2009/10 threatens to be just as fruitless as this season has been.

Our manager Chris Hutchings has stated that contract negotiations have begun and that players are playing for places for next season. We can only hope the last 47 or so minutes on Saturday will have made his mind up about one or two.

It also ought to have strengthened his bargaining position with those that control the purse strings too, but I fear that hoping for something from them is a bit of a cliche too.