Port Vale 0-5 Walsall

[Saddlerrad]

A little bit late, but I haven't really had chance to comment on the game since Sunday.

Brillant day, thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not often you get to see your side win 5-0 away. It was a thoroughly professional performance considering the odds that were stacked against us. Thought the Vale started quite lively with AJLS hitting the outside of the post and a couple of other long range shots. As soon as that first goal went in however, it was alarming to see how they folded and 5 could have been a couple more in the end. It was certainly an emphatic way to end my poor run at Vale Park, I think Sunday was my 6th visit and I'm yet to see us do anything other than lose mixed in with the odd draw.

Great way to start the play-offs and some superb goals scored (we have scored some brillant long range goals this season, never seen us score so many). Decent following and atmosphere in the away end.

Goal highlights - http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/walsall/10274489/port-vale-0-5-walsall

Couple of absolute bangers there.

2nd goal.. -

The sense of satisfaction of actually being part of that, instead of watching that is brillant. Become so used to watching fans at our ground celebrating something worth celebrating so it's great to make a change. Superb season from the lads to get us to this position, it's hard not too dwell on 'what may have been' but we have to move passed that now.

 

[MJA]

Old news.....

 

[IanPVFC]

This is so last season!

 

[Saddlerrad]

Let me enjoy it you fuckers!

 

[dedwardp]

Must say, when I saw the highlights on Sunday night I did think "Christ, Walsall love a long range shot don't they?!" Couple of absolute belters, and a few others that weren't far off too - almost a Goal of the Season compilation in one match.

 

[valefan16]

To be fair first was offside by a mile, both the first goals were poor keeping to parry back into the middle of the six yard box and the third goes through the keepers hand, before a shocking piece of play by Occy for the forth. Really unprofessional by us in the way our attitude changed after the first couple of goals went in became one of thinking about holidays.

Poor to concede multiple long rang efforts too including the ones Alnwick saved although had Grant been available I'm sure he'd have dealt with that.

Probably the least arsed I've been about a 5-0 loss though in fairness. Top half finish secured and a lot of hope for the new season if we tweak the squad right (depending a lot on which side Smurf gets out the bed the most this summer!)

 

[Saddlerrad]

To be fair first was offside by a mile, both the first goals were poor keeping to parry back into the middle of the six yard box and the third goes through the keepers hand, before a shocking piece of play by Occy for the forth. Really unprofessional by us in the way our attitude changed after the first couple of goals went in became one of thinking about holidays.

Poor to concede multiple long rang efforts too including the ones Alnwick saved although had Grant been available I'm sure he'd have dealt with that.

Probably the least arsed I've been about a 5-0 loss though in fairness. Top half finish secured and a lot of hope for the new season if we tweak the squad right (depending a lot on which side Smurf gets out the bed the most this summer!)

As O'Connor strikes the ball, he looks just onside to me. In the ground I didn't actually start celebrating until I'd checked the linesman though. Bit harsh on us there, you went on holiday after the 1st goal went in, but we were good on the day I thought and worthy of the scoreline in the end.

 

[The Terminator]

Jason Demetriou used to score those for us as well, that time in Cyprus hasn't damaged him!!

 

[valefan16]

As O'Connor strikes the ball, he looks just onside to me. In the ground I didn't actually start celebrating until I'd checked the linesman though. Bit harsh on us there, you went on holiday after the 1st goal went in, but we were good on the day I thought and worthy of the scoreline in the end.

Probably but I'd expect had we still been in with a shout of anything we'd have performed far better. Our attitude in two or three games has been terrible this season. Exeter away and Burton home being two of them. The first four goals were partly down to real poor errors from us, the keeper at fault for three and Occy the forth and the lack of closing down for the fifth was Sunday league considering we had already conceded one and seen a couple from that range saved.

From a defensive point of view we would look at goals we should of done better with, but credit to Walsall you had to put them away and get into the positions to punish us and did.

I was more interested in the new kit to be honest although we need to stop doing this new kit reveal on the last home game as we've lost all three times we've done it! Although our Sunday hoodoo now stretches to 14 years without a win (ex Xmas fixtures) since that famous day at the Shitannia.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Jason Demetriou used to score those for us as well, that time in Cyprus hasn't damaged him!!

Best right back I've seen play for Walsall. Finished 3rd in the player of the season (Chambers won that and players player).. Been absolutely superb. Constantly up the pitch down the right hand side, been a massive part of our attacking threat this time.

After Parkin and Jarvis..Orient owe us a couple of good ones. No chance he will be with us next season if we are in League 1, rumours he wants back down to London. Brentford the favourites.

 

[redjed]

Dont know what it is with Vale , it seems on the last day of the season they are already on their holidays, and they always seem to get tonked , i remember we gave them a 5-2 drubbing a couple of seasons ago at our place.

 

[valefan16]

Dont know what it is with Vale , it seems on the last day of the season they are already on their holidays, and they always seem to get tonked , i remember we gave them a 5-2 drubbing a couple of seasons ago at our place.

The 5-2 was early season. Your thinking of the 5-0 when you won the title not to mention the 6-0 after we'd already been relegated in 2008.

We seem to have this tendency, the worst one was Barnet away last game, we'd just panned Morecambe 7-2 then we went there and we rolled over they stayed up and poor Lincoln went down. Grew went berserk and wanted to have them in training for an extra few days before going on holiday as punishment (not sure if he actually did it though)

I wouldn't mind but we never give a couple of the reserves or youth lads a game in these dead rubbers.

 

[Agombar stool]

I wouldn't mind but we never give a couple of the reserves or youth lads a game in these dead rubbers.

I would guess that Page probably wanted to, but given Walsall had something to play for he had to play his strongest team.

Of course, with hindsight he may as well have played some youths and may have gotten more out of them!

We were lucky that our game was a dead rubber and our 17 year old keeper kept a clean sheet and our sub 16 year old scored!

 

[MJA]

I wouldn't mind but we never give a couple of the reserves or youth lads a game in these dead rubbers.

I wouldn't class this one as a dead rubber considering Walsall could have nabbed 2nd spot. Maybe Page took this into consideration and wanted to play his strongest side to maintain a bit of integrity for the league and sport and ensure promotion spots are decided fairly?

 

[valefan16]

I wouldn't class this one as a dead rubber considering Walsall could have nabbed 2nd spot. Maybe Page took this into consideration and wanted to play his strongest side to maintain a bit of integrity for the league and sport and ensure promotion spots are decided fairly?

Too us it was in that respect, sure Page played his full side against Fleetwood last season despite neither having anything to play for?

 

[mozzavale]

the keeper at fault for three

I don't think I could disagree more. The only goal I think he could have done better on, not necessarily blaming him for it though, is the 3rd. I think he went for the ball with the wrong hand. He reached it with his right hand fingertips, so if he'd have gone for it with his left he'd have got a lot more to the ball. The first two goals, he made really good saves in the build up so no way could he be blamed for them. I've seen a lot of our fans saying he should have pushed them both away from goal. Easier said than done when they're fired at you at that speed, especially the second, he simply did well to get in the way of the ball. The rebound could have gone anywhere. What we then saw was bradshaw make the 2nd ball his own. Our defenders simply didn't compete well enough for it. The first looked offside, seen the highlights, still looks offside. Very poor from the lino. No blame attached to Alnwick for that one either, struck hard at him he just did well to get his body in the way. The 4th was pathetic from O'Connor. Lazy, half hearted, passing the ball across your goal is something you learn not to do when you're at School. Summed up his overall performance, think that's the last we'll see of him. I can live with that. The 5th, pure quality. No two ways about it. Not even saying we didn't close him down because it wouldn't have made a difference he hit it so well and so early. I stood up and clapped when that went in.

 

[darren gregory]

absolutely murdered us. embarrasing.
don,t quite get saddlerad ' It was a thoroughly professional performance considering the odds that were stacked against us. ' . What does that mean ? you were an outside chance due to it not being in your hands
. I wouldn,t of anticipated anything other than a professional performance as you were 1 goal ( for Donny ) from going up.

The match itself summed Vale up to a tee. Nowhere near good enough, the 4 home defeats were all teams in top 6.

Burton Walsall Millwall all did the double over us and we scored once in the 6 games.

Burton were a freak in as much as had no outstanding striker it was pure team effort. Grigg, Bradshaw, Gregory and Winnall all top strikers, we have Leitch-Smith !!!

Good luck to all concerned in play-offs.
I want Bradford to go up as sick of playing them and dull as dishwater, hard one to call as Walsall , Barnsley and Millwall all playing well.
Stick neck out and go for Millwall.

As for us please Page do the right thing, no old pals act.

Out must go Yates Birchall Lloyd Daniel Johnson Duffy McGivern and possibly Dicko ( a fist pump doesn,t mean you a good player ) .

 

[Aleckzander Twardochleb]

You wont win the play offs so the 5-0 is nothing to get excited about Walsall

 

[The Terminator]

Best right back I've seen play for Walsall. Finished 3rd in the player of the season (Chambers won that and players player).. Been absolutely superb. Constantly up the pitch down the right hand side, been a massive part of our attacking threat this time.

After Parkin and Jarvis..Orient owe us a couple of good ones. No chance he will be with us next season if we are in League 1, rumours he wants back down to London. Brentford the favourites.

He played left wing for us, was good there until his final season. Which ultimately saw him move to Cyprus as he wanted more international caps and the then Cyprus coach told him to move over there.

He is from Essex, so I wouldn't be suprised to see him move back South. He's only 2 years younger than me, my mates always used to see him out and about on the lash in Romford in his younger days!!

 

[WFC]

You wont win the play offs so the 5-0 is nothing to get excited about Walsall

Oh right. Will let the team know not to bother with Barnsley and fuck off to Barbados early then

Good day out anyway! Excellent weather, enjoyable drink in the Bulls head and the result can only help our confidence

 

[Geosaddler]

You wont win the play offs so the 5-0 is nothing to get excited about Walsall

Now there's a cheery introduction to the forum.

A lot of Vale fans being overly harsh to their keeper on their forum in my opinion. As daft as it sounds I thought he actually had a decent enough game. The shots parried from close range were decent saves and its easy to say he should have pushed them wide but they were instinctive saves. Fordes long ranger maybe slightly questionable but his slightly off starting position didn't help him. It's one of those though, its such a powerful strike and great goal from our perspective. If Vale score it then their fans would have been loving it. Mantoms long ranger was unsaveable and it was refreshing to see about half of the side stand of Vale fans applauding it. If i was a Vale fan it would be the defense/defensive midfielders I would be going mental at. No desire at all and zero closing down!

Good day overall and we kept our side of the deal.....just a shame Donny couldn't help us out.

 

[mozzavale]

Now there's a cheery introduction to the forum.

A lot of Vale fans being overly harsh to their keeper on their forum in my opinion. As daft as it sounds I thought he actually had a decent enough game. The shots parried from close range were decent saves and its easy to say he should have pushed them wide but they were instinctive saves. Fordes long ranger maybe slightly questionable but his slightly off starting position didn't help him. It's one of those though, its such a powerful strike and great goal from our perspective. If Vale score it then their fans would have been loving it. Mantoms long ranger was unsaveable and it was refreshing to see about half of the side stand of Vale fans applauding it. If i was a Vale fan it would be the defense/defensive midfielders I would be going mental at. No desire at all and zero closing down!

Good day overall and we kept our side of the deal.....just a shame Donny couldn't help us out.

Agree with every word there Geo. Especially regarding our keeper. Unfortunately one of our players of the season (Grant) was out for the last 3 games. He's played that defensive midfield role perfectly for us, so was a big miss. O'Connor played there on Sunday, a few days after he told us he'll be looking at offers closer to home (Lincoln) next season. He was terrible all match, and gave the ball away in front of goal for the 4th.