Walsall analysis: Dire first half proved costly in another Saddlers defeat
The damage was done during a dire first 45 minutes, as Walsall slumped to back-to-back home defeats in League Two.
It also finally saw them knocked off top spot after a concerning run of three defeats in four league games, with Swindon Town leapfrogging them in the table.
Walsall looked flat from the outset and duly paid the price when they conceded first for the sixth game on the spin in League Two.
It had been coming. Walsall just looked one or two seconds off in every aspect and played with such little intensity both with and without the ball.
Their build-up play was slow and deliberated and their work off the ball was very standoffish and extremely passive.
Mat Sadler even conceded in his post-match comments that it felt as if his team were "waiting for a spark to happen".
By which point they found themselves with a mountain to climb at half-time. Rico Browne was rendered helpless against the menacing threat of Samson Tovide, although he did stand up to the challenge as best as he could.
It was no surprise though when Tovide delivered the breakthrough with 21 minutes on the clock. Ryan Finnigan failed to clear his lines from Arthur Read's floated free-kick and left Harry Anderson unmarked to square for Tovide.
He made no mistake from just a matter of yards, but things would only get worse for Walsall, who failed to react to falling behind.
Walsall are beginning to gain a reputation for being slow starters, with 11 of the 18 goals they have conceded coming in the first half of games.
Whereas they responded excellently in their 4-2 win at Newport County, there was no much response by the Saddlers on Saturday.
