Walsall analysis - A taste of the Saddlers own medicine

Saddlers had only failed to score in three of their 25 games prior to Saturday’s game, and had won all but seven of their league games.

In football, and the EFL especially, no two games are ever the same, and neutrals in attendance at the University of Bradford Stadium would have been forgiven for questioning which side came into the lunchtime kick off 12 points clear at the top of League Two with a game in hand.

Ineffective, loose defending and a lack of invention or direction on the ball are not what we have come to expect from the fourth tier’s runaway leaders, but were the main issues on what was undoubtedly a day to forget for the 901 Saddlers that made the journey up to West Yorkshire.

The three goals Walsall conceded, in some ways, were not the most disappointing aspect of the day – it felt like almost anything that could go wrong on the day did.

The worries began an hour before kick-off for Walsall when highly-rated midfielder Jamie Jellis was not named in the 18-man squad, later explained by Sadler as an illness related decision.

Before that revelation however it was the rumours of a potential move away and turned-down new contract offer that seemed to instil a panic, in the fanbase at least, that has not been there all season.

Early on the former-Tamworth man’s absence did not appear to phase the visitors, who forced a corner after just 40 seconds following good work from Liam Gordon, Albert Adomah and Jellis’ replacement Charlie Lakin.

The delivery from Adomah was a good one, dropped right on the Bradford goal line where a sea of claret and amber shirts piled in alongside a sea of red.

Desperate defending ensured the score remained goalless, but in typical Walsall fashion an early, physical statement was made to their opponents, and a warning sign about their threat from dead ball situations given loud and clear.

The hosts responded in impressive fashion, and but for some last-ditch blocks and a point-blank save from Tommy Simkin would have taken the lead through Brad Halliday.

Unlike Bradford’s response to Walsall’s early threat, Saddlers were caught out again minutes later by the free-flowing Bantams – this time with fatal consequences.

The attacking trio linked up nicely again, with Bobby Pointon finding Calum Kavanagh, who found Antoni Sarcevic, who found the top corner of Simkin’s goal with a thunderous strike worthy of breaking the deadlock in any game.

Saddlers did their best to play the game in Bradford’s half, but the host’s central defenders and midfielders afforded them little space to play with.

As he so often is, captain Jamille Matt was the target for a number of long balls from Walsall defenders, but was unable to make anything stick at the top end of the pitch.

And to add injury to insult, he was clattered by Aden Baldwin after 30 minutes – a knock that would force him to be replaced by Danny Johnson before the break.

It has not rained very often for Walsall this season, but when it has done it is fair to say it has poured – and Alex Pattison’s 43^rd minute goal put the seal on a very disappointing first half for the visitors.

Again, the left side of their defence were found at sixes and sevens, leaving the 27-year-old midfielder time and space to fire home from just inside the box.

A fast start to the second half was pivotal to any chances the visitors had of salvaging something from the game, but whatever Mat Sadler said at the interval must have felt pointless just eight minutes after the restart.

Another break down Walsall’s left gave Pattison another chance to shoot from the right corner of the box, and he did so with great accuracy into the far corner for Bradford’s third.

Walsall at their best may still have fancied themselves in such a situation, but it was clear nothing they tried was working in West Yorkshire.

And that point could not have been highlighted more when Oisin McEntee, Saddlers’ best player on the day, was felled in the penalty area, only for substitute-Johnson to see his resulting spot kick saved by Sam Walker.

There is more than enough credit in the bank to allow us to pass this defeat off as an off day, but it will undoubtedly still hurt Sadler and his players.

That said, the last time they tasted defeat in the league was a tough-to-take 6-2 defeat against Fleetwood Town, and responded by going 16 games unbeaten in League Two.

They were knocked down then and bounced back sensationally, and tomorrow night they have the chance to do the same again… against Fleetwood Town.