Pretty frustrated after that. You can't make seven changes against a side from a higher division and expect to get anywhere, and I think we got what our approach deserved in the end. I don't know why we felt the need to make quite so many changes when Walsall were at full strength. We played some decent football in the first half an hour, but once their best players - Ishmail, Cook, Ferrier - got into the game they were in control, other than our late rally in the final fifteen minutes.
Individually, Cole did ok and linked up well with Caprice, Mullin worked hard without carrying much threat and Banks was excellent. Other than that, the fringe players showed exactly why they are on the fringes at the moment. Tollitt and Gilmour in particular were very disappointing. Ellis started well but was culpable for a couple of the goals.The front two did not look like scoring all game, and the gulf between their strikers and ours in the absence of Norwood, was pretty obvious. On that display I think Mullin deserves to start ahead of Stockton, not that either is really convincing. Hopefully the injury to Zoum is not a bad one, as he is a big player for us.
The round of applause for Cook as he left the pitch was a nice touch from the Rovers fans.