I thought we were the better side over the ninety minutes and deserved to win the game. However, our lack of potency in the eighteen yard box let us down again.
In the first half some of our football was really nice and we dominated possession for long periods. We only created one clear opportunity, the volley from Davies which their keeper palmed away, but there were several half chances and we got into good areas on many occasions. We should have gone in ahead at the break, but our deficiencies in the final third effectively let Walsall off the hook.
The second half was more even prior to the red card, with Walsall changing shape and putting on another striker, an acknowledgement that they had been second best in the first forty five minutes. However, after the sending off we battered them and had several opportunities to win it, with Hawkes in particular unlucky with a couple of efforts.
Walsall looked nothing special at all, although they generally defended the eighteen yard box well, and it is frustrating that we are just a couple of players short of putting sides like them away. They created very little in open play, but one moment of opportunism from Johnson almost won them the game, a ruthlessness we just don't have in the box.
I thought all the back four played well and O'Connor and Hawkes had good games. Josh again demonstrated how vital his finishing is to us, and was unlucky not to score the winner. I thought Jake Burton also had his best game for us today and linked the play well in the second half. On that showing he is probably a better option than Mumbongo at the moment.
Man of the match, Jordan Turnbull.
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