Walsall debrief: Daniel Kanu fears, home setback and the importance of rotation
League Two leaders Walsall were held to a 1-1 draw against local rivals Shrewsbury Town at Bescot on Saturday.
Daniel Kanu unleashed a rocket in off the bar after three minutes, but Tom Anderson earned the visitors a point with a 64th-minute equaliser.
Courtney Clarke crashed a thunderous strike off the bar and Jamie Jellis slotted inches wide late on.
Here are the main talking points from the draw.
Kanu's stake rises
There is a growing fear that Kanu is working his way closer to the exit door with each goal.
That type of pessimism might not necessarily be welcome, but a similar script has played out in the past three seasons.
Danny Johnson netted 15 times in 30 matches in all competitions under Michael Flynn in 2022-23, before the Saddlers' season entered an irrecoverable state of decline once his loan expired in January.
Freddie Draper hit 10 goals during Sadler's debut campaign, but was recalled by Lincoln City, and Nathan Lowe hit the net 15 times on loan from Stoke City last term.
The curse struck once again and Walsall went from a 12-point lead at the League Two summit to missing out on promotion altogether.
That's not to say that will be the case again this time around, but Walsall fans are understandably concerned.
Nathan Jones hinted at the possibility of recalling Kanu in January earlier in the week and he put himself on the radar even more so when he rifled in an outstanding opener in the third-minute.
The 21-year-old has now scored 11 times in all competitions, including in each of his last five appearances.
He is just four shy of Lowe's tally and surpassed Draper's total from the campaign prior with his latest strike against Shrewsbury.
Stumbling at home
Walsall boast the best away record in the division (20 points) and have registered six wins in a row on the road in all competitions.
Yet, Bescot has not quite been the fortress that it previously has been under Sadler of late.
Since collecting five wins from the first six home games in League Two, Walsall have mustered just four points from their last four at WS1.
Rotation key
It was a frustrating end to what has otherwise been an excellent spell for the Saddlers.
They have played no fewer than five games in the past fortnight and the nature of the performance against Shrewsbury suggested it had taken its toll.
Walsall flew out of the traps and had chances to extend their early advantage through Kanu, Connor Barrett and Priestley Farquharson.
But tiredness started to seep in and Shrewsbury wrestled their way back into the contest to snatch a point thanks to Anderson's deflected equaliser.
In total, Sadler made five changes and has made 11 alterations in the past two league games.
He has had to use his squad wisely and understandably wants to keep his charges fresh ahead of the harsh winter months.
A derby victory would've been gratefully received, but they have still amassed seven points from nine in the league and secured progression in both the EFL Trophy and FA Cup.
Tasty clash ahead
Notts County and Swindon Town duly capitalised on Walsall's dropped points by cutting the gap behind the summit to just two points.
That sets up what is bound to be a tasty top-of-the-table tussle when the Saddlers travel to Meadow Lane to face Notts County in the lunch-time kick-off on Saturday.
