Analysis of Walsall 2 Fleetwood 0

Walsall needed a win and they got it - but was it enough?

Certainly not in the eyes of the fans.

In cup football the result, not the performance, is usually all that matters but last night the Saddlers disproved that theory.

A 2-0 win over Fleetwood in their FA Cup first round replay should be reason to celebrate. After all, it was only their second victory in 16 games.

But such is the depth of feeling among supporters against manager Chris Hutchings you would have thought they had been dumped out.

The frustration on the terraces had cranked up a notch following Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

And a Jimmy Walker-inspired victory against a non-league opponent is unlikely to appease the disgruntled masses.

Fans subjected the manager to continuous taunts and chants which left Hutchings - and presumably chairman Jeff Bonser - in no doubt as to how they felt.

Bonser is far from blameless, his silence is harming the club, but he is the man who holds Hutchings' destiny and with his track record you cannot second guess him.

The man at the top let Paul Merson dangle too long but was shockingly ruthless when dismissing Ray Graydon back in 2002.

Bonser has both pre-empted and acted on fans' feelings but, with the club bottom of League One, it is hard to believe he has hasn't got a grasp on the mood.

So often has the chairman pulled the trigger but this time, whatever the gripes over Hutchings, he appears to have the backing and patience of the owner.

There were never any guarantees a defeat would signal the end of the manager's 22-month reign, so a win keeps things ticking over.

The fans have made their point but a win is a win - regardless of the opposition - and it could spark a dramatic turnaround. That's how football works sometimes.

The FA Cup can prove a distraction from the club's wretched position in the table.

A win over Torquay a week on Saturday will send the Saddlers into the third round for a potential money-spinning clash with a Premier League side.

But they are back on league duty at home to Carlisle this weekend where only a win will do. Being eight points from safety means they cannot afford to keep losing.

The Banks's Stadium has become a lonely place this season, with just three wins from 11 games, and the turnout on Saturday will again speak volumes.

The chairman has acted on falling attendances before and even now he is unlikely to ignore it.

Supporters will continue their protests but the constant barrage of abuse at Hutchings does allow for a degree of sympathy. Managers have to be thick-skinned but they are still human beings.

The Saddlers boss rarely emerged from the dug-out during the game and his frosty post-match press conference suggested the situation had affected him.

But it could have been so much worse had Fleetwood taken one of their glorious first-half chances.

Having made two changes - Oliver Lancashire and Alex Nicholls in for Andy Butler and Julian Gray - the Saddlers started slowly and got slower.

Fleetwood arrived with their tails up and chasing promotion from the Blue Square Premier - knowing contrasting seasons could see the teams meet in League Two next term.

The Cod Army weren't prepared to give up on their shot of glory during a scrappy opening.

But goalkeeper Scott Davies had to be alive to beat Reuben Reid to Peter Cavanagh's sloppy back pass, before Fleetwood had four fine chances to take the lead.

Walker - hero of the first tie - produced a superb fingertip save to stop Anthony Barry's piledriver after 25 minutes before Paul Linwood glanced wide.

The goalkeeper then saved from Gareth Seddon and produced a sprawling block to thwart Jamie McGuire's header.

The non-league outfit had now seen the whites of the Saddlers' eyes and obviously liked what they saw.

Walsall's spirit and guts had, rightly, been questioned after their defeat at Bournemouth and this should have been their redemption.

Instead they were lucky to still be in the tie and Manny Smith had to block from John Miles.

The Cod Army were getting closer and Walker saved at Miles' feet, after a fluid move carved the Saddlers apart.

First-time visitors would have named Fleetwood as the League One side such was their dominance, but Walsall tried to hit back after the break.

Liam Dickinson's effort was rightly ruled out for offside yet it was only brief respite, as Walker saved low from McGuire.

But, out of the blue, the hosts took the lead on 58 minutes when Reid slid in Nicholls' deep cross.

Fleetwood's confidence was visibly hit and they struggled to recover until Linwood flashed over with 15 minutes left.

Walker and McGuire clashed as tempers flared before Reid wrapped the tie up in injury time, running onto Aaron Lescott's ball, rounding Davies and netting.

Despite winning 2-0, the cold ovation at the end said it all.

It's difficult to see a way back in manager and fan relations - it will only ever be an uneasy truce.

By Nick Mashiter