Express & Star

Walsall 0 Gillingham 1 - Report and pictures

Walsall fell to a second straight home defeat after Gillingham produced a smash and grab performance to run out 1-0 winners at the Banks’s Stadium.

Published

In a clash which saw the Saddlers enjoy 63 per cent possession, Jon Whitney’s side were the better team over the course of the 90 minutes.

But despite dominating the ball, it was the visitors who netted the game’s only goal when Conor Wilksinon latched onto Liam Kinsella’s under-hit back pass to fire home.

Walsall pressed for an equaliser in a second half which saw the Gills reduced to 10-men after Max Ehmer picked up two yellow cards.

But they couldn’t break through the visitors defence with the loss leaving the Saddlers just one point outside the League One relegation zone.

Analysis

Whitney sprung a host of surprises when naming his starting line-up with the boss deciding to drop both goalkeeper Mark Gillespie and striker Tyler Roberts to the bench.

Opting for a 4-5-1 formation, Liam Roberts started between the posts while Kory Roberts lined up alongside Jon Guthrie at the heart of the defence with James Wilson ruled out through injury.

It was a system that saw Kieron Morris operate wide on the left, with Zeli Ismail on the right while Erhun Oztumer operated just behind lone front man Ama Bakayoko.

Gillingham, who announced Steve Lovall as their permanent boss on Thursday, lined up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation that saw Tom Eaves partner Wilkinson up front.

It was the Saddlers who began the game on front foot with Whitney’s men twice coming close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening 20 minutes.

First, Oztumer’s corner was bundled towards goal by Morris but keeper Tomas Holy just about did enough to scramble the ball away from his own goal line.

Then some neat football saw Oztmer and Ismail combine with the Bury loanee then whipping in a dangerous cross which Holy managed to beat away ahead of Bakayoko.

Whitney’s men were controlling possession and moving the ball well as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark.

But for all their dominance, their only attempts at goal were coming from distance with both Ismail and Morris trying to force things from the edge of the box.

And that pattern looked like it would continue until half-time with Walsall comfortably the better of the two sides.

Yet just minutes before the interval, Gillingham snatched the lead against the run of play – thanks to a comedy of errors from the home side.

After initially tricking his way past Eaves, Luke Leahy then dallied on the ball allowing the striker to re-gain possession.

The former Shrewsbury man then brushed off a challenge from Guthrie before sending in a cross which Liam Kinsella simply had to tap back to Roberts.

But the Republic of Ireland under-21 international under-hit his pass and that allowed Wilkinson to nip in and calmly slot the ball into the net.

It was Walsall who continued to look the more dangerous of the two teams in the early stages of the second half.

And they came a whisker away from pulling level when Morris saw a fierce low drive deflect inches wide after Leahy had dummied an Ismail cross.

Undeterred, the Saddlers continued to press and they threatened once again in the 57th minute.

A brilliant one-two between Adam Chambers and Ama Bakayoko put the striker through on goal. But, on the angle, the forward saw a drilled strike spectacularly tipped over by Holy.

Despite his team being on top, Whitney made a double change on the hour with Reece Flanagan and Tyler Roberts replacing Morris and Joe Edwards.

And the substitutions almost proved inspired with Tyler Robert sending in a dangerous cross which a stretching Oztumer was just unable to side-foot home.

With Agyei having now replaced Bakayoko, Gillingham were reduced to 10-men in the 71st minute when Max Ehmer was given a second yellow card for fouling the Burnley loanee.

From that point the Saddlers began piling forward at will but they kept seeing too many shots blocked on the edge of the box when they needed to create clear goal scoring opportunities.

They almost found an equaliser when Flanagan fed Agyei who turned his man well in the box but could then only fire straight at Holy.

But in the end they were unable to break through, leaving them without a point at the final whistle despite a performance that had warranted all three.

Key Moments

7 Zeli Ismail shows some quick feet to win a corner on the right. Luke Leahy then powers a header wide from the resultant set-piece.

11 Ismail carries the ball towards the box but his curling effort is blocked.

12 From Erhun Oztumer's corner, Tomas Holy makes a brilliant save stop his leg to deny Kieron Morris' close-range effort.

21 Oztumer and Ismail combine, with the winger delivering a cross which Holy clears just ahead of Ama Bakayoko.

25 Bakayoko drags an effort wide from 25 yards.

26 Seaon Clare drives forward before firing a powerful drive high and wide from 25-yards.

27 Walsall responded with Morris going straight up the other end and firing narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

28 Ismail brilliantly switches the play to Morris who fires at Holy from 20-yards.

30 Ismail's left-footed drive from 20 yards is held by Holy at his near post.

44 Goal Gillingham. Tom Eaves robs Leahy of possession and sends in a cross which Liam Kinsella should tap back to Liam Roberts. But the defender under-hits his back-pass and that allows Conor Wilkinson to nip in and slot the ball into the net.

52 Ismail’s cross is dummied by Leahy to Morris. He then hits a fierce low drive which takes a deflection and sails wide.

57 Bakayoko plays a neat one-two with Adam Chambers before having a near-post effort superbly tipped over by Holy.

59 Leahy slips in Bakayoko but the striker fires wide from 18-yards.

67 Tyler Roberts sends in a dangerous which a sliding Oztumer just can’t connect with.

72 RED CARD: Ehmer is sent off for two bookable offences.

79 Kinsella slips in Roberts but Connor Ogilvie brilliantly blocks the striker's cross-come-shot.

86 Reece Flanagan feeds Agyei in the box who turns his man before firing straight at Holy.

Teams

Walsall: L. Roberts, Leahy, Guthrie, K. Roberts, Kinsella, Morris (Flanagan 60), Chambers, Edwards (T. Roberts 60), Ismail, Oztumer, Bakayoko (Agyei 70).

Subs not used: Gillespie, Devlin, Kouyhar, Donnellan.

Gillingham: Holy, O’Neill (Nugent 87), Ehmer, Zakuani, Hessenthaler, Eaves (Byrne 60), Wilkinson (Wagstaff 81), Martin, Ogilvie, Parker, Clare.

Subs not used: Nelson, Nugent, Oldaker, List, Cundle.