Express & Star

Competition pays off for Walsall strikers

Morgan Ferrier believes Walsall’s trio of strikers are all pushing each other to improve.

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Ferrier has played alongside both Andy Cook and Josh Gordon in recent weeks with all three strikers having enjoyed impressive starts to the 2018/19 campaign.

Both Ferrier and Cook have already netted four times this season while Gordon – who can also play out wide – has found the target twice.

And Ferrier believes the battle for places is bringing out the best in them.

“The good thing is all the strikers are equally as good as the other,” the former Boreham Wood man said.

“I enjoy playing with both, they both bring different things to the team.

“Cookie is a different type of animal, he is a big, strong centre-forward.

“Josh is smaller, a bit more cute.

“That gives the gaffer options and keeps everyone on their toes.

“Everyone knows, day in day out, they have to work as hard as they can because come Saturday, there are places up for grabs.”

Walsall returned to winning ways on Saturday when they secured a 2-1 victory at Oxford.

The week before, Dean Keates’s side tasted defeat for the first team in League One this season when they were beaten by Doncaster.

And Ferrier said that loss hurt the players.

“We know what we have got in the dressing room,” the striker continued.

“When we came in last Monday, we were even more determined to show what we can do because we know we let ourselves down against Doncaster.

“We wanted to bounce back with a good win and put in a good performance for the fans.

“I felt, to a man, we did that at Oxford and got what we deserved.

“Now we just have to keep it up.”

Ferrier netted in strange circumstances at the Kassam Stadium with the striker racing though unopposed after the home defence stopped in anticipation of an offside flag.

But while the 23-year-old kept his composure to squeeze the ball through the legs of Jonathan Mitchell in the U’s goal, he feels those chances are often the hardest to score.

“Josh knows how I like to play and that I want to be on the last shoulder so as soon as he’s got the ball he has spun it around and to be fair I was surprised I was in so much space,” Ferrier added.

“I had a look at the linesman and the flag wasn’t up. So I tried to compose myself and beat the goalie.

“Sometimes those chances, when you have so much time, are hard.

“I broke from the halfway line and it was just me and the keeper.

“You have a quick look to see where the keeper is. And then it’s mind games.

“But with the surface being wet, anything low are hard is going to be hard for the goalie.

“I got a bit of luck – it went through his legs – but then you work hard to get your luck.”