Mat Sadler "disappointed" by goals Walsall conceded in Grimsby defeat

Walsall went in front inside the first six minutes when Ellis Harrison opened the scoring at the end of a quick breakaway. 

But Jayden Luker was afforded an abyss of space on the edge of the box to finish into the bottom corner after Walsall switched off from Jason Svanthorsson's short free-kick.

Danny Rose put Grimsby ahead from the spot before the break and Luker broke in behind to latch on to Kieran Green's through ball and finish past Tommy Simkin.

Boss Sadler said: "Having gone in front, we did well to work the opportunity for that. The disappointment was the moments of the goals. 

"They've not had to work for the first one and the thing for me is wanting to really focus on those reactions if we concede a goal today. 

"That wasn't quite right but I'm not going to make things bigger than what they need to be. I'm never going to do that. The goals, certainly the first two goals, are available and that was the frustration for me and then maybe we don't react in the most positive way.

"I'm not hear to forget about what we've done previously. We are a very good team and we've proven that countless times and we should all be proud of what a very good team that we are. 

"But you get judged by those wins. We're looking forward to picking up that next win and maybe that'll galvanise everyone."

Bradford will leapfrog Walsall into top spot if they win at Gillingham later this afternoon while AFC Wimbledon reduced the Saddlers' advantage over fourth spot to eight points after beating Notts County 2-0.

Walsall have picked up just 10 points from the last 33 available in League Two and have suffered successive home defeats in the league for the first time in just over two-and-a-half years. 

But is Sadler panicking? 

"It's reacting to who we are and what we are. We're having a fantastic season, we've moved things along in exactly the way we wanted to," he responded. 

"For me, it's about flipping that mentality. It's completely not using words like that (panic) because they don't mean anything. 

"All they do is drum up feelings of emotion that aren't helpful to try and win a football match. There will be no feelings of that from me, we're still in a fantastic position and we're still having a fantastic season. 

"Every single person would say that we are. We've just lost a couple of games and we now need to move forward into the next one."