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Walsall 1 Cheltenham 2 - Report and pictures

Walsall fell to their third loss in as many games after an uninspiring performance led to a 2-1 defeat at home to Cheltenham Town.

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An error from Liam Roberts in the Saddlers net allowed Ben Tozer to tap home before a Josh Gordon penalty, early in the second half, levelled the scoring.

Another individual error, this time from Liam Kinsella, allowed the visitors to break and veteran striker Luke Varney tucked it away in front of more than 700 travelling supporters.

Cheltenham held on for the win in front of the furious home support.

Darrell Clarke started in a 4-3-3 formation, making three changes from the 3-1 loss to Leyton Orient last week.

Dan Scarr missed out due to suspension, meaning Zak Jules moved over to centre-back and Cameron Pring came into the side in left-back, after missing the last month with an ankle ligament injury.

Rory Holden was dropped to the bench, while Danny Guthrie missed out on the squad altogether through injury - they were replaced by Josh Gordon and Alfie Bates, who made his first league start for the Saddlers.

Gordon played on the right of the front three, with Wes McDonald the other side of striker Rory Gaffney.

Bates was at the base of the three in midfield, with Stuart Sinclair and Liam Kinsella either side of him.

Michael Duff’s Cheltenham started in a 5-3-2 formation and made one change from their last league game, a 1-1 draw with Oldham. Veteran striker Luke Varney replaced Alex Addai, who dropped to the bench.

Daniel Bowry then dropped out of the squad altogether as Varney made his return from injury.

Cheltenham came into the game having had a free weekend last week after their game with Newport was postponed due to the Welsh side having three players called up to international duty.

And they certainly looked the fresher of the sides in the opening 10 minutes. Although there were no clear-cut chances, the visitors had the majority of the ball and swung in two dangerous corners that needed clearing.

Just before the 20th minute mark the visitors almost made their early dominance count.

Impressive midfielder Ryan Broom, who is Cheltenham’s top goalscorer this season, got in behind down the right and crossed the ball to the edge of the box. Jake Doyle-Hayes takes his shot but it’s superbly blocked by Kinsella - potentially saving his side from going behind.

Minutes later Liam Roberts then saved his team with an excellent save from Varney. The striker met a header unchallenged from a cross and Roberts threw his body in the way, turning it behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

Walsall began to grow into the game, however, and went close themselves. With the fans on their back after their poor start, Jules almost opened the scoring but the ball was just cut out ahead of him, when he was free in the box for a headed attempt.

But just after the half an hour mark Gordon should have scored.

Gaffney meets a long ball over the top but goalkeeper Scott Flinders came out to claim. He then fumbles the ball, however, and Gordon, on the right of the box, has a free shot which he pulls inches wide of the far post.

Despite Walsall growing into the game, Cheltenham opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time.

A dangerous corner is swung in and Roberts rises to claim the ball, but after catching it he drops it on his line and captain Ben Tozer taps in from close range.

Walsall went into half-time losing 1-0 after a poor 45 minutes.

When the teams returned for the second half, Clarke made no substitutions but did make a tactical change. The side came out in a 5-3-2 formation with Gary Liddle at centre-back with Jules and Clarke, Pring and McDonald the wing-backs and Gordon coming inside to play striker with Gaffney.

The half started slowly but Walsall got themselves level not long after the re-start.

Centre-back Clarke picked up the ball and carried it past several players before feeding Gordon down the channel. The striker goes down under a challenge from Chris Hussey and wins a penalty.

Gordon then picks himself off the floor to convert the penalty into the bottom right corner, scoring his first goal of the season.

But within minutes all of Walsall’s hard work was undone and Cheltenham led again. Another individual error, this time from Kinsella, as the midfielder sells Bates short and the visitors break. Varney then finishes it into the bottom corner.

They almost extended their lead again through Varney who’s header from a corner nestled into the net but was ruled offside.

The introduction of Elijah Adebayo and Holden meant another tactical change, with McDonald moved to left-wing-back and Holden playing right, with Gordon behind Adebayo and Gaffney up top.

Pring also moved to a back three as Liddle and Kinsella were brought off.

Adebayo should have equalised with 10 minutes left on the clock after meeting the ball from a cross but his shot on the turn was well over the bar.

Gordon and Adebayo and a number of shots blocked in the closing minutes of the game but Cheltenham held on for the win.

Walsall: Roberts, Liddle (Adebayo, 68), Clarke, Jules, Pring, Sinclair, Kinsella (Holden, 68), Bates, McDonald, Gordon, Gaffney (Hardy, 84).

Subs not used: Rose, Norman, Sadler, Roberts.

Cheltenham: Flinders, Long, Hussey, Tozer, Raglan, Greaves, Thomas, Broom, Doyle-Hayes (Ince, 86), Reilly (Addai, 75), Varney (Smith, 89).

Subs not used: Lovett, Clements, Boyle, Lloyd.

Attendance: 4,494, (708 away).