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Reserves v. Oldham Athletic - 10/10/07

Reports and reaction from the 2007-08 season as Walsall finished 12th in League 1
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Reserves v. Oldham Athletic - 10/10/07

Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:37 pm

Walsall 2 2 Oldham Athletic

Walsall (4-5-1)
Bertrand Bossu

Richard Taundry
Manny Smith
Ian Roper
Netan Sansara

Junior Mawete (Chris Hanna, 77 min.)
Gylfi Einarsson
Charlton Davies (Capt.) (Harry Harris, 80 min.)
David McDermott
Alex Nicholls

Troy Deeney

Unused Substitutes:-
Leon Quarless
Jamie Silver
Tom Cox (gk)

No sign of Butler, Carneiro and Picken!

Manager:- Jimmy Mullen, assisted by Eric McManus (and watched by Dicky Dosh from his usual spot at the back of the ASBO-TO-GO Lower)

Goal Log:-
14 min. - 0-1 - a smart turn and shot, from just inside the penalty area, by Matty Wolfenden, gave the visitors the lead.
61 min. - 1-1 - a cracking shot from the corner of the penalty area, which the 'keeper should have saved, from McDermott.
68 min. - 1-2 - a dreadful blunder by Roper gifted an easy chance to Aaron Chalmers, which he accepted.
83 min. - 2-2 - a left wing cross from Nicholls was powerfully headed in at the far post by Hanna.

Sinners List:-
41 min. - Sansara cautioned (unsporting behaviour, foul on Gary McDonald).
79 min. - Davies cautioned (unsporting behaviour, foul on Lewis Alessandra)
90+2 min. - McDermott cautioned (unsporting behaviour, foul on McDonald).

Comments:-
A fair result from 2 well-matched teams. It was a lively Oldham team and McDonald, Wolfenden and Alessandra, in attack, gave the Saddlers a testing evening. Saddlers started with Deeney as the main (sole) striker with Mawete and Nicholls taking it in turns to support him, leaving the trio of Davies, McDermott and Einarsson to fill the conventional midfield rôles.
Defence:- Bossu not commanding or “bossy” enough: Taundry – excellent; Smith – back after injury with his right wrist heavily strapped – improved as game went on; Roper – oh, dear – not one of his better games – ZiDann and Gezza can sleep easily tonight; Sansara – just about coped with a difficult opponent.
Midfield:- Davies & Einarsson – both tidy without being exciting or exceptionally creative; McDermott – worked very hard but always seemed to need that extra yard, that extra touch and, as a consequence, was often caught in possession; Mawete & Nicholls – again, industrious but uninspired.
Attack:- Deeney – raw and energetic.
Subs:- Hanna – scored a super header; Harris – added a bit of pace but did not have enough time to show what he could do.
Early in the 2nd half, DD sent a runner down to JM and EM to tell them to switch Mawete and Deeney. Why this obsession with playing Deeney in midfield against Oldham?
Future 1st team prospects? Taundry continues to impress and I know McDermott can do better than he did tonight. Smith should soon be back to fitness but Roper has done his recall chances no good at all (and I speak as a Roper fan).

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Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:41 pm

Mr Roper. oh dear oh dear.

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Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:44 pm

My old man said Roper was pants.

Summat aint right there.

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Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:21 am

2-2 is a shedload better thant the first team managed.

Worried about Ropes - years of excellent service with credible partners says he's good, but now this season it all looks a bit dodgy. Think he's got a crisis of confidence, or has he really hit the wall? Get behind him!

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Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:47 am

I also share concerns about Roper , somethings not right its just not like him .

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Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:51 am

Exile wrote:2-2 is a shedload better thant the first team managed.

Worried about Ropes - years of excellent service with credible partners says he's good, but now this season it all looks a bit dodgy. Think he's got a crisis of confidence, or has he really hit the wall? Get behind him!


Sound like a stuck record, but I really don't see what folk are confused about.

He has always need guiding through a match, I highly doubt a young kid will do that to him and neither should he. He is a great player alongside the 'right' partner, and a very poor player alongside the 'wrong' partner. No difference to how it has even been in my opinion, its just that we've got a better partnership now.

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Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:02 am

It must be a strange coincidence that Ropers career as coincided with the most successful period in the history of WFC.

Does anyone know if Picken is back in training ?

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Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:19 pm

Peter Hart went the same way...No bit in the middle, just went from a very good centre-half (and captain) to a painfully slow and bad one, almost overnight! There was no way back, he was just finished and had the balls to admit it too. Legend!

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Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:27 pm

Thanks Leamore, your reserve reports are always gratefully received and a really good feature of the site.

Just watched the goals.

Our two were well taken. Their second :oops:

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