Saddlers boss will not hit panic button

Boss Chris Hutchings insisted Walsall will not hit the panic button despite crashing out of the Carling Cup.

The Saddlers lost 1-0 to Tranmere at the Banks's Stadium last night - the fourth successive time they have failed to get past the competition's first round.

Ian Goodison's scrappy first half effort sealed Walsall's fate and consigned them to a second successive home defeat.

But Hutchings wasn't alarmed — despite the disjointed performance - and said the players are fully committed to netting their first win of the season at Brentford on Saturday.

He said: "We've had two games and we wanted to win in front of our supporters. Sometimes things don't work out, you miss chances and things go against you.

"But we have another game to look forward to at Brentford and the lads know we're not happy with what happened last night and on Saturday.

"We wanted to be in the Cup because it's extra revenue for the club so we're bitterly disappointed but we'll get up and go again."

Alex Nicholls and Darren Byfield both missed chances to take the tie into extra time and Hutchings says the pair cannot afford to be so wasteful next time.

"With the chances we had if you don't take them you don't win games," he said. "We had chances in the first half but we didn't work the keeper hard enough.

"We lacked a little bit of composure when hitting the target and then they scored from their first chance. We had a couple of chances and the miss we had with Nicholls was the turning point. That opportunity we had, we couldn't afford to miss it.

"That's where games are won and lost, in both penalty boxes. You can play as much pretty football in the middle as you want but it's about being ruthless at both ends of the pitch."

Tranmere boss Les Parry hailed want-away striker Ian Thomas-Moore after his impressive outing.

The striker has handed in a transfer request at Prenton Park after reported interest from Rotherham, managed by his dad Ronnie.

And Parry insists the club will reject Thomas-Moore's demands because he is vital to the team.

"Whatever happens, it will be turned down," he said. "Whether we discuss another contract is the talking point but we're never going to accept a transfer request from someone like Ian Thomas-Moore. We can't replace him.

"I told the directors the fact he's handed in a transfer request won't change his attitude, that's the kind of lad he is.

"I didn't hesitate in leaving him as captain because he leads by example."