Walsall 2-1 Swindon analysis: Saddlers character comes to the fore in gruelling battle
Mat Sadler says he wants "athletes" in his team and they produced a performance which embodied that exact quality in a gruelling battle of attrition.
Walsall started their 2-1 win over Swindon Town at Bescot on opening day in excellent fashion, and took the lead in even more sensational style.
Evan Weir is poised to make the step-up in the wake of Taylor Allen's departure to Wycombe Wanderers and made the best possible start.
His teammates commented that he had been scoring free-kicks in training throughout pre-season and he delivered another beautiful strike with a rocket into Connor Ripley's left-hand top corner after eight minutes.
It was also his first goal for the club in what could prove to be a very big season for the Irishman. However, he could've done better when Aaron Drinan outmuscled him at the other end midway into the first half.
Perhaps that left Brandon Comley with no other choice but to rugby tackle the Swindon attacker to the floor, and he paid the price with a straight red card.
That changed the complexion of the game completely and provided Mat Sadler with a prime opportunity to show his worth from the dugout.
He didn't disappoint. It felt harsh to sacrifice Jonny Stuttle, who himself had forced a smart one-on-save from Ripley before his departure, but it was necessary.
His strike partner Aaron Pressley got through some incredible work as the sole striker, especially considering he had twice the workload.
Lewis Warrington, signed from Leyton Orient towards the end of the week, also provided excellent cover for Comley at the base of midfield.
