MATCHWATCH : Walsall (a)

[Sutekh]

Oh well it is a pointless waste of time unless you get to the final. Probably would have won that if we’d finished with 10 players though.

[Fox Talbot]

Entertaining in a bizarre way in the last 20. Shame to concede that close to the end but if we’d won we’d have used up a season’s worth of luck. Wareham is not the man, is he? Absolute trier to be fair but needs to play off Toshack or similar.

[stealthpapes]

I want Wareham to succeed. I think I've seen enough to know he likely won't.

[stealthpapes]

Bring back Jahmari Clarke!

[Clyde1998]

Disappointed to lose it like that, but we didn’t really deserve to be in the game with how we played.

At least we can fully focus on the league now (assuming we lose in the FA Cup).

[Snowflake Royal]

Button - 4 idiot.
Ahmed - 5 some really great stuff, some not great, silly pair of bookings.
Garcia - 5 worst game, kept giving the ball away, winning it, giving it straight back. Everyone, particularly at his age, can have a wobble though.
Holzman - 7 did pretty well in general and held out brilliantly until the end
Dean - 6 didn't really have the defence organised, didn't really stand out.
Craig - 6 one of the better players, but lost the ball much more than expected
Savage - 6 probably our best player first half
Sackey - 5 did almost nothing until he scored, then had some good touches
Camara - 3 don't know what's happened to him, but I don't think he added anything
Osho - 5 was non-existent first half, but one great run second, and then resilient defending.
Wareham - 7 totally uninvolved first half, but his second half was sublime.

Wellens - 6 tidy player. Injected a bit of urgency and thought we kept the ball a bit better when he came on, which was odd, because Savage wasn't the problem.
Senga - 7 looked a step above most of the other younger players. Don't understand why we haven't seen more of him.
Norcott - 7 looked a bit out of his depth, but really good punches, in the right place for the ones they got on target. So unlucky not to keep a clean sheet
Kanu - didn't have much time, scored his penalty.

It's one of those days and no blame to the young players. It needed a more balanced side with a couple more experienced players, particularly someone in the front line. A couple had uncharacteristic off days. Walsall were a big quick side on the front foot and really used that to dominate us in terms of chances. But were just dreadful at shooting.

Once Button was off, everyone stepped up their game, and they defended so well and so smartly. Playing for time, gamesmanship, clearances, getting their bodies in the way. Really really something to be proud of that last 20 minutes for all the young players still on the pitch.

And Ahmed shouldn't blame himself. He made a mistake, but it happens. Learn and move on. He looks to have a lot of potential.

[Hound]

Tbf to Ahmed that chap he brought down was about to go 1 vs 1 with the keeper. He’d probably have spooned it into the stand but in a lot of games I wouldn’t really have blamed him for the tackle

[Royal_jimmy]

Just back. Gutting not to see that out as we battled really hard. Button showed just how brain dead he is. Were never winning that shoot out in a million years once they equalised.

Blame Button more than Ahmed tbh. Ahmed took one for the team. Buttons was stupidity being caught out of position and got away with it a few moments before too

[SCIAG]

Senga - 7 looked a step above most of the other younger players. Don't understand why we haven't seen more of him.

Agreed, he looked good.

He spent almost all of last season out injured and had another at the start of this. They took his recovery very seriously and eased him back into the U21 side.

Also plays in the position where we have most depth. It’s not like defence or attack where we’ve been desperately short and basically everyone gets a go. Then again, we do keep playing Sackey for some reason.

[Hound]

Got the feeling Selles maybe didn’t rate that much. I’ve always thought he looked handy, but does seem prone to the odd stupid sending off as well

He’s certainly got the size to be useful and I’d like to see more of him

[Stranded]

Walsall top of Div2? Bloody hell was that anything like their first team?

Shocking if so

Of the 12 players involved in their win at Port Vale in the top of the table clash at the weekend:

7 either started or came off the bench
2 were unsused subs

[katweslowski]

What did Button do to get sent off? I missed it as I tuned in late.

[Sutekh]

What did Button do to get sent off? I missed it as I tuned in late.

Caught out of position outside the box and managing to “handle” the ball.

[Clyde1998]

Just back. Gutting not to see that out as we battled really hard. Button showed just how brain dead he is. Were never winning that shoot out in a million years once they equalised.

Blame Button more than Ahmed tbh. Ahmed took one for the team. Buttons was stupidity being caught out of position and got away with it a few moments before too

Watching the highlights, I realised Button's red card was for the mistimed challenge on the attacker - as opposed to the referee giving handball. I assumed it was the latter, but felt he clearly chested the ball. Whilst it was a foul, I don't see why it was a red card; he was the last man, but it wasn't an obvious scoring opportunity with where the ball ended up and how far away from goal the foul was.

The only positive to come from that red card is Norcott did well when he came on - looked a bit more assured than Boyce-Clarke and he's two years younger. If we can get CBC a loan in January, I'd be content with him being the third choice at this stage.

I could see the Ahmed red card coming from a mile away. As soon as he slid in like that, it was always going to be a foul and a yellow card in that position (and he got nowhere near the ball). I can't remember what the first yellow was for. He's young enough to have the opportunity to learn from it and getting knocked out the EFL Trophy isn't going to be all that well remembered in a few months time.

The equaliser was the killer; as you say, I had no confidence of winning the shootout after that. Their keeper did make a couple of good saves tbf and Kanu took his penalty extremely well.

[Hound]

Button deserved to go. It was a useless bit of play from him. Terrible

Holzman had a decent game. He is starting to look like he could make the first team regularly. Ahmed has already impressed but not sure anyone else really stood out beyond showing great spirit and resilience

Where has Rushesha disappeared to now? Don’t know why we re-signed him if he is never going to play. Shame as I think he’s quite good

Assuming Tuma, Spencer are injured

[Clyde1998]

Attendance: 1,501 (238 away fans).

[Clyde1998]

Button deserved to go. It was a useless bit of play from him. Terrible

Holzman had a decent game. He is starting to look like he could make the first team regularly. Ahmed has already impressed but not sure anyone else really stood out beyond showing great spirit and resilience

Where has Rushesha disappeared to now? Don’t know why we re-signed him if he is never going to play. Shame as I think he’s quite good

Assuming Tuma, Spencer are injured

Noel Hunt will have a different preference for players than Ruben Selles. That said, Rushesha would absolutely be in the squad, maybe starting, if he was fit (imo); Tuma and Spencer would be in the squad too.

[Royals and Racers]

Senga - 7 looked a step above most of the other younger players. Don't understand why we haven't seen more of him.

Agreed, he looked good.

He spent almost all of last season out injured and had another at the start of this. They took his recovery very seriously and eased him back into the U21 side.

Also plays in the position where we have most depth. It’s not like defence or attack where we’ve been desperately short and basically everyone gets a go. Then again, we do keep playing Sackey for some reason.

Senga didn’t spend most of last season injured- he went on loan to Ayr Utd from 1st September until 21st January.

[Silver Fox]

What did Button do to get sent off? I missed it as I tuned in late.

Caught out of position outside the box and managing to “handle” the ball.

You missed it too then?

[Silver Fox]

Button deserved to go. It was a useless bit of play from him. Terrible

It was very poor, however, and I don't like blaming anyone but we had two defenders who were sauntering back, if they'd put in more of an effort he wouldn't have been the last man and it wouldn't have been a red