Walsall debrief: Mat Sadler milestone, debut delight and killer instinct
Walsall returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park on Saturday.
Priestley Farquharson and Daniel Kanu both scored in the first half, before Jamille Matt headed in an excellent cross from Aden Flint in the 65th-minute.
Joe Ironside grabbed a late consolation for the hosts, but Walsall rode out eight minutes of stoppage time to register their first win of 2026.
Here are the key talking points from the victory in Merseyside.
Sadler marks milestone in style
Boss Sadler marked his 150th game in charge of Walsall with his 66th win for the club.
The 40-year-old boasts a 44 per cent win rate - the best of any Walsall manager since the late promotion-winning Chris Nicholl (45.86 per cent) between 1994 and 1997.
Sadler has never overseen three successive league defeats during his reign and avoided setting an unwanted record after ending a run of back-to-back defeats.
The Saddlers have not lost three games in a row in the league since a wretched run of seven under Matt Taylor in early 2022.
Three Walsall debuts
Alex Pattison made his league debut for Walsall when he was named in the starting eleven, as one of two changes from the 5-1 drubbing at Norwich City in the FA Cup.
The midfielder, who joined from Bradford City earlier in the window, provided Walsall with a much-needed creative spark in the centre of the park.
