Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:02 pm
My first live match this season, having listened to the previous games on Sadsworld.
A pretty uneventful game, I thought, which neither team did enough to deserve all three points.
First half, Colchester passed the ball better and caused numerous problems down our left hand side. Whether that was entirely the fault of Lescott, or a lack of support from midfield, I don't know. Apart from one save from Richard's free kick, their 'keeper had very little to keep him occupied.
Second half was better from Walsall, but I always felt we would need to score 2 to win, as we looked very open to the counter attack, and so it proved. The ball travelled a long way in the air for the goal. I believe that Brain and the defenders would not have been happy with conceding from what appeared to be a speculative cross.
Having been toothless in the first half, I feel that we should have converted at least one of the Byfield chances, which had we done so, would have given us a deserved point against a pretty run of the mill opponent.
Richards was our best player by some distance. He was involved in virtually all our attacking play and seemed to be the only midfield player who was competent in his defensive duties.
Westlake played well, making two or three important last ditch tackles and was willing to pass the ball on the ground occasionally, which obviously caught the attention of the match sponsors.
Patterson made a promising full debut.
Brain looked nervous (not helped his indecision in the first couple of minutes, or by the ironic cheering from behind the goal when he caught the next cross)
Gray's body language was all wrong today and it showed in his performance.
The rest were pretty so-so.
So, in summary, disappointed with the performance, the result, and particularly the attendance.