The Unlikely Lads Top of the Table Clash (Walsall vs Gills)

[Saddlerrad]

Super sexy Saddler stallions.

Sounds just about deserved based on the second half.

3 more goals without Bradshaw, that's 9 in 3 games!

It's about time Gillingham lost late on.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Thought of you when that late goal flashed up! Well done.

 

[GFCSludge]

Gutted, we were cruising, absolutely cruising at 2-0, one speculative shot and an immediate defensive absence royally blew that. Second half they were marginally on top we grew into it but sweet fucking Christ on a bike what a galling goal to concede. The only way to combat this feeling is a gallon of Leffe with whiskey. Everything and everyone can fuck right off.

 

[saddler_andy]

Sexy red bastards

 

[Jonny12]

Very well deserved win. Conceded two poor goals, the penalty especially but responded quickly with heart and determination against a good Gills side and a fucking disgraceful referee, should of stuck a Gills shirt on.

I was really, really surprised by who horrible Gillingham were. Horror challenges, lots of cynical shirt pulling and stamps on feet - and yet the referee just let them get on with it, very spineless from him. McGlashan should of been off for a terrible challenge on Sawyers, high foot at high speed and didn't even get the ball. Dack too for about 3 or 4 bad challenges and tugs on the back of our shirts that the referee once for.

Great performance from the lads, Milan, Sawyers, Evans and Rico were outstanding - and Morris has to start when we play 433, he is heads and shoulders better than Forde. Best player for the Gills was easily John Egan who must of put in 3 or 4 last ditch tackles to stop us from scoring, he was excellent for them, very impressed.

 

[GFCSludge]

Stay classy Walsall.

Nothing but hard, fair challenges from our players. McGlashan's shouldn't have even been a freekick let alone a card.

 

[saddler_andy]

Stay classy Walsall.

Nothing but hard, fair challenges from our players. McGlashan's shouldn't have even been a freekick let alone a card.

Weren't there today then.

 

[GFCSludge]

Weren't there today then.

I wish I hadn't been, but unfortunately I was present for the whole game.

Dack's booking was deserved, that's it.

 

[Jonny12]

Stay classy Walsall.

Nothing but hard, fair challenges from our players. McGlashan's shouldn't have even been a freekick let alone a card.

Blinkers are on.

 

[saddler_andy]

I wish I hadn't been, but unfortunately I was present for the whole game.

Dack's booking was deserved, that's it.

Just gonna point out a couple of fouls.

Your boy left the ground to dive in on Sawyers, regardless of weather he got the ball or not it's dangerous play. He is never in control.

Dack obviously

Your CM hacked down Chambers - deserved booking.

There were also 4 or 5 other cynical fouls, admittedly there were some good firm challenges but they don't exactly stick in the mind do they.

 

[GFCSludge]

Then we may as well make it a non-contact sport. 20 years ago the challenges from our lads would have been applauded, but I guess that's just another thing wrong with modern football, show any aggression in trying to win the ball and you get labelled cynical and dirty.

Still, I'm glad that you've got your priorities right though, pointing out non-existent fouls instead of celebrating a last minute winner against the side at the top of the table.

 

[Jonny12]

Delusional mate, that wasn't showing aggression, that was almost Graham Westley esc. Going through the back of players, pulling shirts, losing control of high footed challenges isn't football, big difference between aggression and that. Strikes me as a little sour grapes that you're defending it to be honest. We're discussing it now because up until the 90th minute it was annoying the shit out of all of us that it was going on and the referee wasn't doing anything about it.

George Evans is immense, felt he brought us what we've been missing with Mantom's form being in and out. Really drove us forward with some lovely passes and great footwork. He aye half nimble for a tall lad either. Need to get him on an extended loan as he has the class we need to keep us up there challenging for the full season. Kieron Morris as well has come on leaps and bounds, such a strong dribbler of the ball, he has the skills to beat players as well as a rocket of a left foot. He really can turn into something special.

 

[WFC]

Horrid tacking majority of the game from Gills. Career ending stuff flying in etc etc.

Not bothered anyway top result against a good side, especially on the attack. UTS

 

[joethegill]

Well, thats just bollocks isnt it.

Mcglashans was off the floor yes, but he won the ball. Probably took a bit of Sawyers with him hence the yellow. Good decision. Dacks yellow, fair enough. Jacksons yellow - absolute shocker by the ref who seemingly booked him for being kicked by Lalkovic. Dack didnt get a decision all day, bar the penalty which couldnt really be ignored as he was absolutely flattened.

I'm gutted because we held Walsall at arms length for the majority, cruising for half and hour before a speculative long shot (a good one, admittedly), followed by piss poor defending for the second. I dont actually know how the third went in, as the guy who scored was behind one of the well placed pillars in the away end.

I thought 2-2 was about as fair as it was going to get, so it's a blow. Walsall looked ok but how often was Nelson tested? Other than the goals I only remember one effort late on that he saved well, but I guess you could say the same for Etheridge.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Not quite sure why the Walsall contingent are being quite so churlish in victory?

No mention of Demetriou cynically taking Cody down when he was breaking clear? Lalkovic kicking Jackson after the ball had gone. Sawyer wanting to start a head pushing game after he'd been fouled and clear yellow after Morris had robbed him when he took Dack down

Two very good teams going toe to toe, if you think that ref was bad you should've seen our last two games......

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[Atticus Finch]

Ps - Sawyer, sponsor's man of the match? I take it the drinks were complementary

Ps2 - Brad's yellow was tactically predictable. Gutted that he misses Stevenage in the cup!

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[Geosaddler]

To put things into perspective, Burton came to our place the other week and it was an absolute war of a game. Hard, crunching tackles flying in from all angles. All firm.....all fair!! It was great to watch. Gillingham today commonly crossed the fine line and I was sick of seeing a lot of cynical stuff with an absolute bellend of a ref that lost control of the game on many occasions. The tackle on sawyers was borderline G.B.H. and the lad was flirting with a red card.

All in all though it was a superb game and a great advert for the league. Most teams have just come to the Bescot and put 11 men behind the ball but no sign of this from Gillingham. 2 sides genuinley going for the win. I am not using the above to detract from Gillingham by the way who I thought were a good side and caused us problems for a lot of the match. Its probably only the 2nd time in about 14 years i've seen walsall come back from a 2 goal deficit and to do it against a good top of the league side was so satisfying.

Henry, Evans (need to extend the loan of this lad), Morris, Lalkovic and Sawyers were all absolutely class today. It really is great to be a Saddlers fan watching this team at the moment! Buzzing tonight!

 

[Atticus Finch]

Quick aside...took my old man today, first time since he's needed a wheel chair. Big thanks to the Walsall stewards who went out of their way to make sure he was ok, had a good view and looked after his chair until full time. Thanks!

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[joethegill]

I'll add to that ^ Was made to feel very welcome pre-match by both the stewards and those in the Saddlers Bar at the ground. Made a welcome change.

 

[joethegill]

Just seen the goals on channel 5 and it's pretty much as I saw it. Two good goals in the game (the first for each team), very poor defending for each teams' second, and the winner was scrappy as you like - Egan maybe should've cleared it before it got to Demetriou.

 

[saddler_andy]

Just going to leave that there a moment.

 

[joethegill]

No difference in that tackle to the one made on Cody when he had one man to beat - what's your point?

 

[GFCSludge]

No difference in that tackle to the one made on Cody when he had one man to beat - what's your point?

I think the point being made is that we have to learn to accept that we're a horrible, underhand, conniving, cheating, brutal, evil team.

As a club we should not attempt to make anything approaching a tackle in future while cynical fouls are a heinous crime that should result in dissolution of the club. No notice should be taken of bad tackles and cynicism made by Walsall or any other opponent because that would undermine the credibility of their watertight case.

 

[WFC]

Has to be said Bradley Dack is a brilliant player, wound our end up a treat !

Bradshaw was quiet for us, but when you've got a team where anyone can score it's no real bother. Jasons goal to win it will live in memory, absolutely fucking brilliant.

 

[joethegill]

Has to be said Bradley Dack is a brilliant player, wound our end up a treat !

Bradshaw was quiet for us, but when you've got a team where anyone can score it's no real bother. Jasons goal to win it will live in memory, absolutely fucking brilliant.

I was impressed by Sawyers, but there's no way he's better than Dack as a number 10. Sawyers saw a lot of the ball, and didn't do anything particularly wrong, but he wasn't as attacking as I was expecting. There were numerous occasions he could've had a shot or play a killer pass and he just opted for a safe 10 yard ball to a fellow midfielder. He's a good player no doubt, but I'd always have Dack out of the 2.

 

[WFC]

Fuck me talk about rating a player on one seeing lol. Sure Dacks been poor once or twice. Sawyers has been much more effective in other games definitely. He does the little things anyway that some don't pick up on, keeps the ball, gets attacks going rather than being the attacker. We've got Bradshaw to find the net.

Dacks more of an out and out attacker anyway isn't he?

 

[joethegill]

Fuck me talk about rating a player on one seeing lol. Sure Dacks been poor once or twice. Sawyers has been much more effective in other games definitely. He does the little things anyway that some don't pick up on, keeps the ball, gets attacks going rather than being the attacker. We've got Bradshaw to find the net.

Dacks more of an out and out attacker anyway isn't he?

Dack is an attacking midfielder, pops up all over the pitch in advanced areas making things happen. Sawyers seemed to me a much more standard central midfielder as opposed to a number 10, but that's not to say he didn't have a good game, just not what I was expecting after comments on here from Walsall fans about him.

 

[JoeJoeJoeJoe]

Maddison > Dack & Sawyers.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Dack is an attacking midfielder, pops up all over the pitch in advanced areas making things happen. Sawyers seemed to me a much more standard central midfielder as opposed to a number 10, but that's not to say he didn't have a good game, just not what I was expecting after comments on here from Walsall fans about him.

It's what I meant about him being the most 'natural' number 10. He's the most sure fire/obvious number 10 in the division. He is constantly 10 yards infront of the central midfielder and is always 10 yards infront of Bradshaw, always in the pocket of space, always ready for a pass. 5 goals and 6 assists I think already this season are impressive stats. He's a very talented player and he has quite literally torn teams apart this season playing in that pocket. Brillant eye for a trick and a pass that nobody else has the vision for.

Dack's an excellent player. What were Charlton doing turning him down?

Btw - who really cares about the ins and outs of the game. The thread has descended. It should be remembered that this game was played between a couple of old school, traditional league one sides, with small fanbases, small budgets compared to the big boys and it was contested between number 1 and 2 in the table. That's something to be celebrated.

 

[mattsaddler]

Just about recovered from the events of yesterday. I thought it was a great advert for league 1 football. However despite Us Starting very slowly there was no way we deserved to be 2 goals down . My frustration in the first half hour was the slowness of our build up play. We were passing and keeping possession well but it was all in front of Gillingham and easy to defend against. When teams sit so deep we do struggle at times and we are so much better when we increase the tempo of our play often dictated by Sawyers. He was way to deep for the first half an hour at times as deep as chambers who is the defensive midfielder. Once we got the first goal we improved ten fold and passed with more purpose rather than passing sideways. I am a fan of our philosophy of passing football but not always the crab sideways pass for the sake of passing style.

I thought dack was a nuisance for us all game and I can see him playing at a higher level. Not prepared to judge whether he idbetter than sawyers on my one viewing if him though. Thought Loft had a good game also. Couple of cynical fouls as already discussed but won't dwell on that. I did get frustrated with the amount of time the Gills we're taking on throw ins mind you. Every bloody throw in wasted about 1 minute whilst Jackson took an eternity to prepare himself to launch one of his long missile throws! Thought the ref should have had a word myself.

I wish Gillingham the best for the reminder of the season . We are both punching above our weight so far and it would be great if we both remain in the promotion hunt.

Over and out...