Walsall debrief as Saddlers let two points slip at the death

Half full? Coming through a stern test with unbeaten run still intact and becoming the first team in the league this season to score against Crewe.

Half empty? Being 2-1 up with a minute or so of added time remaining made for a disappointing finale as well as the chance to go top of the table.

Here are some talking points.

TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANT-ED

Boss Lee Grant cut a very measured figure a few minutes after full time. As a player, and already a coach and manager, he has seen enough in football to know that games are not won, lost – or drawn – until that final whistle.

He is also very realistic.

Crewe pressed hard for the last half an hour and there was a feeling that a goal was coming. The fact it came so, so late was what made it such a blow.

Interestingly, Grant talked about the team attacking and defending together – which is clearly a positive – but also as a potential negative when it comes to hanging onto leads as they had done successfully on previous occasions.

Because the group are so confident in their organisation and togetherness, and clearly very well drilled and well coached, they back themselves to see out any such challenges and make it to full time.

On this occasion, they just didn’t quite cross the finish line.a

‘Maybe there is a better way,” said Grant. Who will no doubt be aiming to come up with that better way on the training pitch.

PRESSLEY NOT GETTING ALL SHOOK UP

Aaron Pressley scored seven goals in 41 games for Walsall last season. He has scored five in six so far in this one.

But there is clearly a modest and level head on those tall shoulders!

“It’s been o-k,” he said of his tally so far, before paying tribute to the manager and his team-mates for the quality of the created chances.

There are no goal targets for the affable Scot. Only a target of showing up to every game and training session with a ‘courage and willingness to improve’.

He is a man in top form. Long may it continue.

THE LEFTIES!

Not only is Pressley benefitting from some great ammunition provided by Reece Smith, but Smith and Mason Hancock have forged an impressive alliance down the Walsall left.

Their speed and directness helped the Saddlers break with pace and purpose on several occasions during a lively night in Crewe, and both are capable of producing some pinpoint deliveries into the penalty area.

Keep them both fit and firing and it could be a really productive supply line this season.

‘DON’T MENTION THE START’

Alluding to Walsall having made a ‘good start’ to the season - eight points from four and still unbeaten - to a long-serving member of staff drew an almost pained look of traumatic realisation.

A look of ‘we’ve been here before.’ So ‘please don’t mention the good start’.

Pressley acknowledged as much in his post-match interview.

“Yes it’s a good start, but we’ve seen that a few times here, haven’t we?”

Clearly there are some battle scars left from recent seasons but with such a new group hopefully those will stay well below the surface if Walsall can maintain this early promise and momentum.

What is also refreshing, even with so much change, is that Grant is by no means willing to use that as an excuse.

Bringing in 15 players in one transfer window is, even by the usual standards of Saddlers’ comings-and-goings, quite something.

But Grant is relishing the challenge of moulding them into a team, and indeed a squad where everyone has a part to play.

“Despite the fact we have brought in so many bodies, I have not wanted to hide behind that,” said the boss.

“We still wanted to get the season up and running.”

FAN-TASTIC

The travelling faithful of 1,127 helped fashion an excellent atmosphere in what was, even if the late equaliser proved a bitter pill to swallow, an excellent advert for League Two football.

Two good teams, with bright young managers, actually born just a day apart in January of 1983, trying to play decent football and producing a very entertaining night.

As mentioned above, those Walsall fans have experienced some more sustained disappointments in recent years of seeing potential success snatched away from their fingertips.

And yet, even after the late heartbreak here, they delivered a rousing post-match reception to Grant and his players in much the same way as they had sung loud and proud throughout the 90-plus minutes.

They like what they see. And can dare to dream that, even in these very early days, this time might be different.