Walsall talking points: Kanu absence, Roberts sees red and set piece delight

Priestley Farquharson opened the scoring, before a second half double by Andy Cook came in the wake of Myles Roberts' costly red card. 

Aaron Pressley scored his first goal in over four months to rescue a point, although Walsall extended their winless run to six games in League Two. 

That result leaves the Saddlers in ninth-place - one-point ahead of Grimsby and two adrift of the play-off places.

No Kanu, no problem 

There was panic stations among the Walsall fan base when the team sheets were released at 6:15pm. 

The question has been asked by myself, and many others in recent weeks: where will the goals come from besides Daniel Kanu?

Well, Walsall fans were offered a sample of life without their leading scorer, as he missed out due to illness. 

Sadler felt compelled to return to the box midfield which he played towards the end of last season and opted for just the one striker in the form of Pressley. 

That ploy would've likely clinched maximum points had Roberts' red card not changed the course of the game. 

Down to 10

Walsall went back to basics and looked back to themselves during the first 45 minutes. 

They pressed more effectively, offered a threat in the transition, and won more second balls. 

But all of that work was undone when Roberts was given his marching orders just before the break. 

He misjudged the flight of a ball in behind and launched into a rash challenge on Cook just outside the box. 

It looked a stonewall red card from the naked eye, but Kacper Lopata and Aden Flint were both covering in behind when watched back on the replay. 

A moment of stupidity from the Walsall goalkeeper? Yes. The denial of a goal scoring opportunity? That is up for debate. 

Set pieces, set pieces 

Dead ball expert Evan Weir was omitted from the squad, but the likes of Lakin, and in particular Clarke, produced the goods from set pieces. 

Clarke set-up both goals with two corner deliveries. First, he floated the ball directly into the danger area for Farquharson to head in off the crossbar, and repeated the trick for Pressley to equalise.

5 changes 

Sadler made no fewer than five changes, as co-chairman Ben Boycott watched from the stands. 

Brandon Comley and Alex Pattison formed a double pivot, as Jamie Jellis and Charlie Lakin played more advanced. 

The latter had to be sacrificed once Roberts was dismissed, but was key to the Saddlers' strong start. 

Clarke also offered a fruitful attacking outlet down the right, and Okeke demonstrated his quality at times on his first start since re-joining on loan. 

Lopata also made his full debut after recovering from a thigh injury and excelled overall.

Cook haunts Walsall (again) 

Cook is not the most popular customer whenever he faces Walsall, but he has a knack of scoring against his former club. 

The veteran frontman scored twice in the second half to extend his tally to seven goals in seven meetings against the Saddlers. 

Sam Hornby will not want to watch his first goal back, after he failed to deal with Reece Staunton's cross, and Cook stole in to head home. 

The Walsall goalkeeper did go some way to making amends when he plunged to his left to make a magnificent save to deny Charles Vernam later on.