Lee Grant hails Walsall strike force after Oldham win

Lee Grant heaped praised on Aaron Pressley and Tai Sodje, after the Walsall forwards played starring roles during their 3-0 win over Oldham Athletic at Bescot.

Sodje scored his first two goals for Walsall in the win over Fulham under-21s in the EFL Trophy last week and has followed that up with goals in the league against Swindon Town and Oldham respectively.

“We had a tough conversation prior to the goals against Fulham under-21s. A tough conversations for both of us because he’s a player that wants to play every week and I’m a manager that’s demanding an awful lot,” head coach Grant said.

“There’s been a really nice meeting on that. What I mean by that is that he has come to me on it and I’ve managed to get him an opportunity.

“I think the timing was perfect for him in the Fulham game and he has taken that opportunity. The credit certainly lies with Tai and nobody else.

“He has to keep working for that and he has worked for that. His first comments to me after the game was in relation to that.

“That was nice because he’s recognising that he’s getting results because he’s working incredibly hard for the group. Low and behold that results in him getting opportunities.”

Jed Ward also produced an excellent assist for Sodje’s opener, while Declan Skura turned provider for Pressley to double their tally with a smart pass in behind.

“The goalkeeper in terms of what he is bringing at the moment is very high level,” he continued.

“There was a big save at 0-0, there was a big save at 1-0 and there was an incredible assist.

“Really pleased for him. His level of performance has been so high and Declan [Skura] showed his quality in that moment for the second goal with the through ball.”

Pressley bagged his second brace of the season from the spot in the second half, before Walsall had to see the rest of the game out with 10-men following Elicha Ahui’s red card.

That extended Pressley’s tally to eight in all competitions - surpassing his total of seven from the previous campaign and equalling his highest ever goals return in a single season.

“Of course, for Press [Pressley], who has been excellent for the first 11 games and continued in that fashion this evening,” Grant added.

“Strikers want to score goals. So when Tai wasn’t scoring, he was disappointed with himself, and the same with Press and Dallo [Andy Dallas] when they don’t score.

“Making sure that everything that goes in and around that are ticked is really crucial and important to me.

“For Press, he has just got to keep going on about his work in the same way and I think we can keep getting him in the same positions.”