Lee Grant has no issues with conceding twice as his Walsall side beat Accrington

Walsall boss Lee Grant had no issues with his side’s defensive fortress finally being breached after his Saddlers edged a 3-2 League Two thriller against Accrington.

After four clean sheets in league and cup, Walsall conceded twice against Stanley but their firepower at the other end meant it mattered little.

The Saddlers also showed resilience to hold out amid a late Accrington siege, even if the visitors were adamant Walsall keeper Jed Ward brought down Josh Woods deep in stoppage time.

“I’m really proud of the group, the lads were excellent and if there was ever a game that typifies or characterises the division, it was today – lots of goals, physicality and lots of effort,” said Grant.

“This is the direction the team want to go – they want to score goals and attack teams and I’m pleased with that, but we also did a good job of showing calmness in the right moments.

“It was a good lesson for us – no matter how dominant you are, how much of the football you have, or how many good goals you score, there’s a way back in for teams if you have a moment’s breather.

“It’s a warning shot for us but I thought we deserved the win and were good value for it.

“The defence were outstanding – we conceded two but on another day Accrington, against another opposition, without our desire to defend the way we did, would have scored four or five.”

Reece Smith tucked Walsall ahead early, pouncing on the loose ball after a Louie Moulden save, but Woods levelled from close range after Ward spilled Alex Henderson’s free-kick.

Headers from Harrison Burke and Aaron Pressley either side of half-time put Walsall 3-1 up but Stefan Mols soon pulled one back and Accrington had several chances to claim a point.

The Saddlers sit second after two wins and a draw but Accrington are 22nd with just one point after three games.

“We should have got something out of the game and the lads gave everything, especially in the second half,” said Accrington boss John Doolan.

“You just have to get this first win – everyone is in the same boat – as that will settle you down.

“We know what we’ve got to do and we know the challenges in front of us, the hurdles we have to get over.

“I don’t want to use it as an excuse, that we should have got a penalty – at the end of the day, we didn’t get it. It’s all ‘should haves, buts, ifs and maybes’.

“We’ve had whatever minutes to go and score goals, we had opportunities, we didn’t take them – right at the death, you think you’re going to get something and you don’t, it just baffles me.”