'Hated it' - Lee Grant explains Walsall's half-time switch in Swindon draw

Lee Grant says he “hated” having to withdraw Walsall defender Ryan Leak at half-time, but confirmed that the change was purely tactical during their 1-1 draw at Swindon Town on Saturday.

Walsall trailed 1-0 at half-time when Grant decided to shuffle his defensive pack at half-time. Declan Skura had started at right-back for the second successive league game, as Leak partnered James Connolly in the centre of defence in Wiltshire.

Skura reverted to centre-back for the second half, while Elicha Ahui provided Walsall with good attacking impetus following his introduction.

On the half-time alteration, head coach Grant explained: “I hate having to do that. I hate having to bring off a player who is playing well in Ryan Leak, who the lads and I love, and who didn’t put a foot out of place in the first half.

“So I hate having to do that, but the game was just the game. And the game was that we had so much opportunity to get forward from that right-back position.

“We’ve got players like Elicha [Ahui] who can do that incredibly well and we saw that in the second half.

“I’m really comfortable with that decision, but by the same token, I hate having to make it.

“It is what it is. Declan [Skura] can play in the middle, or on the right. We’ve got good flexibility across several positions, so we’re fine with that.”

Ahui had dropped to the bench in the past two games and fellow right-back Rico Browne has joined National League side Woking on loan until January.

Meanwhile, Roman Dixon is still working his way towards full match fitness, after featuring just once in the league for Walsall in their League Two opener at Gillingham in mid August.