Sat Mar 02, 2013 7:33 pm
We're genuine playoff and promotion contenders because of performances like that. Frankly, we were streets ahead of Shrewsbury in every single department and they had very little to cause us too many problems.
Unlike previous weeks, I thought we struggled to get Paterson and Brandy too involved - partocularly inhe first half. That was probably as much down to the pitch as it was down to them playing Parry and Richards as their wide midfielders - two players with not a lot of pace, but with the nouse to be able to drop in and defend whenever we looked to break forward. When Paterson started floating more in the second half, he saw more of the ball and generally used it well.
When our wingers aren't firing though, the we don't half have an effective spine to our team. Grigg is absoltely on fire at the moment and helps us to defend from the front by working so hard, but in behind him, Chambers and Mantom are exceptional at winning the ball when we don't have it and keeping it when we do. Westcarr provides the link between the midfield and Grigg and was excellent in that role again today.
We didn't look too comfortable when they did get Richards in enough space for him to cross the ball into our box - an understandable reaction really, as they had two giants up front and clearly that was always going to be their route into today's game. In terms of football, it was ours that was the easier on the eye and the more effective though.
The pleasing thing about today's game was the way we played with a fire in our belly - just like we did at their place back in October. My only slight gripe is that having battered them for an hour, we started to take one too many touches, get a bit too cocky on the ball and give them some hope for the last ten minutes. That's the only time I've seen us do that this season though, so happy to give the players the benefit of the doubt.
Another game where it was really good fun to be a Walsall fan. I'd have given a limb to be where we are now a year ago.