Deadbat
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Sorry for the late report; was out in town last night.
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After a seemingly season ending loss in the week at Roots Hall in the week; the Blades gave one of their better performances of the season as they saw off high flying Walsall at Bramall Lane. Two first half goals from Chris Basham and Billy Sharp were enough for the home side who in the end won the game rather comfortably. A more assured and committed performance will have pleased fans but also left them leaving with some frustration after seeing what they were capable of. It was a rare win against one of the high flyers who lost away from home for only the second time this season.
Manager Adkins opted to make changes with the returning David Edgar and also Alex Baptiste coming in at the back. Out went young Ben Whiteman and Harrison McGahey with Chris Basham starting in an unfamiliar right wing back role. The midfield remained unchanged despite a disappointing performance in the week. Walsall had not played for over 2 weeks and featured high scoring striker Tom Bradshaw up front and former Blade Andy Taylor started at left back.
The game began with United edging the early stages. The midfield were winning some of the loose balls and Adams and Sharp were looking to link at every opportunity. Adams had one turn and shot just wide and then Coutts nearly played Sharp in. Done then had a chance played in by Flynn but the keeper saved from a narrow angle. Adams then curled over after more neat build up.
Demetriou had a free kick opportunity after McEveley’s foul but hit the wall in a rare opening for Walsall. United came again and Adams nearly got in after good work by Done. After half an hour the opening goal came from the first effort on goal. The ball came over to the left and Done made space and sent over an inviting cross that bounced dangerously between the keeper and defenders and BASHAM stole in and from close range headed down and into the net. It was well made and well taken goal with both wing backs in such advanced and offensive positions.
Mantom had a shot straight at Long but from the next attack it was 2-0 for United. Basham once again was heavily involved. He managed to jink his way past Henry twice, first on the inside and then cleverly played it round his outside and ran onto the ball before sending over a cross. Flynn could not quite get any purchase on it and the ball sat nicely for SHARP to cushion on his chest and volley home superbly past the motionless Etheridge.
It was a rare two goal cushion for United who had played well and had pinned Walsall back who had not really given the Blades many problems. Basham was now full of confidence and had a long ranger not far wide after good work from Hammond. Sharp then nearly got in with a header after more determined play down the left from Done. The half time whistle brought applause from the home supporters after a much improved display.
Flanagan was taken off at the break and replaced by Hiwula-Mayifuilaat as Walsall looked to recover from a really poor first half performance.
The second half saw United create an early chance but Basham fired over. Walsall were struggling to pick up the United wide man who kept finding pockets of space. Bradshaw had half a chance at a corner but had been well marshalled so far by United’s defence. Hammond was booked for a foul when the referee brought play back after allowing advantage initially. Baptiste seemed to have picked up a knock and he had to limp off with McGahey replacing him. United won a few free kicks in dangerous positions but Coutts opted to cross on one and then hit the ball on the other.
The game was moving towards the final quarter of an hour and United had restricted Walsall who had not had any clear chances all game and it seemed the home side seemed more likely to add to the score line. Lalkovic replaced Mantom and Forde came on for Taylor and he instantly had a long ranger just wide before McEveley gave away a free kick again; right on the edge of the box. This effort was hit by Forde but he hit the wall from the initial effort and then again on the follow up. United had defended well but were going back deeper now which was inevitable as Walsall threw more men forward.
United held firm and Walsall could only offer a few scrambles from corners and Long had been kept well protected by his defence.
Woolford replaced Done and then Calvert Lewin took the place of Adams with both departing players getting a good hand from the fans.
The game moved into stoppage time and in the additional 5 minutes the Blades could have perhaps added another but poor choices in the final third as Flynn and Sharp broke saw only a corner result when a shot should have been got away. The final whistle came soon after and the home fans went home happy as the Blades leapt up to 8th spot. In reality a play off spot is still very unlikely with an eight-point gap and only six games to play but the result would have been a welcome tonic for the under pressure Adkins.
United – It was a good performance. I am not getting carried away and it was certainly not amazing and we were not scintillating but it was so much better than it has been and against a high placed team. We moved it quite quickly first half; certainly quicker than we have been doing and played higher up the field in all areas. We scored two very well made and taken goals and defended well. The fact we restricted the team in third who have only lost once away to merely long rangers is impressive. I actually felt it was a controlled performance in that respect. Second half even though we were 2-0 up I thought they may come and have a real go and if they got one would have feared for us but it never happened and the game sort of petered out which suited United. The midfield did better in terms of at least some more harrying and work rate.
I felt Adams and Sharp worked hard again and were a threat and the two wing backs Done and Basham caused major problems all first half. They could not cope with Basham’s running and seemed unsure who was marking him. Our formation did seem to cause them issues and we seemed to have one-man spare. Second half it changed somewhat and they were more competitive but not enough to properly hurt United.
The defence did well against two dangerous strikers and were able to restrict them completely in this sense. I just felt overall we pressed higher and with more intensity all over the field and this led to some giveaways and us getting possession back or winning throws further up the field. I felt the crowd responded well to this increased intensity and recognised it. Basham became a talisman going forward and this was a surprise but it worked.
It was as comfortable a win as I have seen this season. I felt after the break we played it right. Sure we did not create many clear chances but I felt we still kept it well when we could and defended sensibly. Some may have wanted us to go for more goals but we did not need to. Walsall were struggling to break us down and the game was just passing by without many chances either way which suited United.
It is frustrating that we showed with more commitment, organisation and erm…resilience we should have won a lot more games and been a lot higher up. Whetever issues we have with the manager and the players. Both could have done much better. They have showed that in the performance but these have been all too rare.
Walsall – Thought they were really poor. Whenever I have seen them this season they have been a good footballing side who have knocked it about well and moved it with pace. Dangerous forwards like Bradshaw and the lad Sawyers have meant they are a very capable side and away record proves this. Today they never seemed to get going and I felt United won at a canter. We got the two first half goals and after this they never really threatened. They had a few corners and some long rangers but in the final third they were poor and never really penetrated. The strikers did not get much service either. I thought the defence struggled at times and for once they never really got to grips with our system and Basham and Done caused all sorts of problems. The former scored and made the second and at times seemed to run amok down the right hand side.
They did not really have the same sharpness and zest I have seen from them in other games. I also think the break did not do them much good as they seemed sluggish and it was strangely United despite having played twice since them, looked sharper and hungrier.
Odd season for them as they have had 3 managers. Smith of course was taken by Brentford after doing such a great job and then it was an odd situation when O’Driscoll came in and left quite quickly despite them still being near top. 16 games seemed a very short amount of time. I know they had dropped off though and lost 6 in a row at home I think. It seems the home form did for him and may be that stops them from going up automatically. I am unsure if I would fancy them in the playoffs. I suppose you don’t know over 2/3 games but I am not sure they have enough compared to some of the other teams. Just an opinion of course.
Opponent man of the match: Hard to pick anyone out really. Even though he played on the side where Basham did so much damage I still though going forward the lad Henry was dangerous at times and is a talent at only 18 but he was driven back by Basham first half and that saw problems. At times him and Taylor did not know who was marking him and they tried to switch to 3 at the back but by this point it was too late. However, the most dangerous player may have been the lad Forde. He was only on for 20 minutes and he had at least 4 efforts on goal including one good shot just wide.
Opponent Weak link: You would have thought Bradshaw and Sawyers would have been the ones we had to look out for. They have been the two danger men this season. The former got started of service and only had a few half chances. However, Sawyers a player I really like was a big disappointment. He did not get on the ball and did not really offer any threat. They were unable to put United under any real pressure at all today which surprised me. At the back the centre halves struggles with Sharp and Adams movement and I do rate the lad Downing; probably the player we should have gone for when we signed the slow and clumsy Butler (showing how poor he is at Doncaster at the moment). Taylor actually played a few neat balls but looked slow and I am amazed he is a regular in a side going for promotion.
SUFC Player Ratings –
Long 7/10 – Steady enough. Had little to do. Saved a few long range shot that were comfortable. He caught a few crosses and took a few through balls but really untroubled. His kicking was good as he was given quite a few back passes. He is decent with both feet actually which I noticed today.
Basham 8/10 – Excellent. Man of the match. He ran all day, got up and down and scored one and made the other. Cannot do much more than that. He is a trier and always liked that about him and his effort was infectious today and led to others putting extra in too. First goal used his height to come in at the back post and was not picked up. Second was great skill to beat his man twice. He had two other good long range efforts and was so industrious all game. Not the most skilful but he is a player that never hides and puts effort in.
It was odd second half as the lad Henry was further forward, Basham just left him which was odd but they did not seem to get him the ball. The attitude seemed to be let them worry about me rather than the other way round which was refreshing.
I have been quite vocal about him feeling he is another not good enough but he did really well today. Needs to show this more consistently whatever position he is in.
Done 7.5/10 – He showed he cannot defend very well the other night and his new position definitely seems to suit him more at home than away from home. Today he got the defenders worrying about him as he bombed down the left. He was our main source early on and had 2 or 3 crosses in before one that led to the goal. He was a real threat. Second half he had to defend more and did not get forward as much but did ok. At times still not tight enough to his man and lacks defensive awareness. Still not sure long term if he can play this position due to defensive weaknesses but he does offer a lot going forward with his lung bursting runs.
McEveley 7.5/10 – Steady performance. One criticism is that he gave away two or three silly fouls including two right on the edge of the box that could have led to problems (they hit them all into the wall fortunately). Overall his defending was good. He read the game well and was able to cover in and round the back.
Edgar 7.5/10- As above. He was steady enough. He won headers and cleared it. Felt along with the rest he restricted some dangerous forwards and was on the front foot. Did what you expect of a defender. Still not convinced he gives us that dominating presence we need and that is why I probably would not sign him.
Baptiste 7/10 – As with the other defenders; he did his job that was expected of him. He made a few tackles and blocks and was also able to come out of defence well. He was struggling second half and only made an hour of the game before going off.
Flynn 6.5/10 – Quiet-ish today. I felt he did a job for the team but the game passed him by for long spells and I am not sure he got on the ball enough. I suppose his job today was to cover and stop some dangerous midfielders and he seemed more withdrawn than he has in games against Oldham/Crewe. Did a good job helping Basham as he attacked covering in behind him.
Hammond 6.5/10 – Thought he began well and broke up play when he could. He passed it short most of the time and cannot recall many forward passes or probing runs/balls. He just broke things up and shielded the defence but that is job done you could argue. I still do not think he does enough and at times still goes to floor too often. He committed a few more daft fouls and got his inevitable booking.
Coutts 7/10 – A better game with more effort all round. He actually really chased back today and that encouraged me more than his play on the ball. He did use it well and was neat and tidy and bought and won a few free kicks too. He did keep going and I felt saw a lot more industry and team play as he went with runners and did a job for the team. Too many times he has switched off allowing runners to get away but he stayed compact and was solid.
Sharp 7.5/10 – Worked hard all game and was a threat throughout in terms of always playing on the shoulder. He did not have that many efforts today. A couple of blocked shots/headers. His goal was superb. As bad as some of his misses have been he has scored some cracking goals and from fairly long range too. It was barely half a chance. Second half he had a decent chance but was too unselfish and tried to feed Flynn.
Adams 7.5/10 – He worked hard too and I feel last few games he has really put a lot of work in. Not everything has come off and at times his pieces of skill do not always work but love the fact he runs at defenders and tried to put them on the back foot/getting them turned. He did this a few times. Felt he ran himself into the ground and deserved his round of applause.
Subs
McGahey 7/10 – Came on for Baptiste and did well. He also had a few surging runs out from the back. He has been ok in the games recently. Still unsure of him long term though but credit to him for decent displays since he has come back into the team.
Woolford – Brought on right at the death for Coutts.
Calvert Lewin – As above. Came on last minute for Adams.
Manager – Adkins 8/10 – Tactically and formation wise we caused them all sort of problems. When I saw he played Basham at right wing back instead of say Flynn; I was astonished. I thought it was a very odd selection against the tricky Henry. Well it worked superbly. It sent the lad going back and they never coped with it. I felt in midfield and the strikers we pressed them and they could never get going. They are known as a good footballing side.
Ref – Lee Swabey. The yellow cards were all right for a cynical foul by Pennington on Adams and then similar at other end from McEveley. Hammond pulled someone back and the ref did well to go back and book him. Outside of this cannot recall many bad fouls all game really. They were a few on the edge of both boxes rightly given but in general play the game passed without incident. Cannot recall him getting much wrong and he tried to let the game flow.
Crowd – 19,214. There did not seem to be anywhere near that many in the stadium. I would have said it looked more like 16-17,000 at best. It was said Walsall brought a 1,072 which seemed generous too. They were relatively quiet but with the goals going in first half had little to get behind. United fans were buoyed by better start and the goals and kept with the team and were praiseworthy of players and team. No one played particularly poorly all game. It was very steady performance from most and some were good. Overall the fans enjoyed a better performance and win.
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After a seemingly season ending loss in the week at Roots Hall in the week; the Blades gave one of their better performances of the season as they saw off high flying Walsall at Bramall Lane. Two first half goals from Chris Basham and Billy Sharp were enough for the home side who in the end won the game rather comfortably. A more assured and committed performance will have pleased fans but also left them leaving with some frustration after seeing what they were capable of. It was a rare win against one of the high flyers who lost away from home for only the second time this season.
Manager Adkins opted to make changes with the returning David Edgar and also Alex Baptiste coming in at the back. Out went young Ben Whiteman and Harrison McGahey with Chris Basham starting in an unfamiliar right wing back role. The midfield remained unchanged despite a disappointing performance in the week. Walsall had not played for over 2 weeks and featured high scoring striker Tom Bradshaw up front and former Blade Andy Taylor started at left back.
The game began with United edging the early stages. The midfield were winning some of the loose balls and Adams and Sharp were looking to link at every opportunity. Adams had one turn and shot just wide and then Coutts nearly played Sharp in. Done then had a chance played in by Flynn but the keeper saved from a narrow angle. Adams then curled over after more neat build up.
Demetriou had a free kick opportunity after McEveley’s foul but hit the wall in a rare opening for Walsall. United came again and Adams nearly got in after good work by Done. After half an hour the opening goal came from the first effort on goal. The ball came over to the left and Done made space and sent over an inviting cross that bounced dangerously between the keeper and defenders and BASHAM stole in and from close range headed down and into the net. It was well made and well taken goal with both wing backs in such advanced and offensive positions.
Mantom had a shot straight at Long but from the next attack it was 2-0 for United. Basham once again was heavily involved. He managed to jink his way past Henry twice, first on the inside and then cleverly played it round his outside and ran onto the ball before sending over a cross. Flynn could not quite get any purchase on it and the ball sat nicely for SHARP to cushion on his chest and volley home superbly past the motionless Etheridge.
It was a rare two goal cushion for United who had played well and had pinned Walsall back who had not really given the Blades many problems. Basham was now full of confidence and had a long ranger not far wide after good work from Hammond. Sharp then nearly got in with a header after more determined play down the left from Done. The half time whistle brought applause from the home supporters after a much improved display.
Flanagan was taken off at the break and replaced by Hiwula-Mayifuilaat as Walsall looked to recover from a really poor first half performance.
The second half saw United create an early chance but Basham fired over. Walsall were struggling to pick up the United wide man who kept finding pockets of space. Bradshaw had half a chance at a corner but had been well marshalled so far by United’s defence. Hammond was booked for a foul when the referee brought play back after allowing advantage initially. Baptiste seemed to have picked up a knock and he had to limp off with McGahey replacing him. United won a few free kicks in dangerous positions but Coutts opted to cross on one and then hit the ball on the other.
The game was moving towards the final quarter of an hour and United had restricted Walsall who had not had any clear chances all game and it seemed the home side seemed more likely to add to the score line. Lalkovic replaced Mantom and Forde came on for Taylor and he instantly had a long ranger just wide before McEveley gave away a free kick again; right on the edge of the box. This effort was hit by Forde but he hit the wall from the initial effort and then again on the follow up. United had defended well but were going back deeper now which was inevitable as Walsall threw more men forward.
United held firm and Walsall could only offer a few scrambles from corners and Long had been kept well protected by his defence.
Woolford replaced Done and then Calvert Lewin took the place of Adams with both departing players getting a good hand from the fans.
The game moved into stoppage time and in the additional 5 minutes the Blades could have perhaps added another but poor choices in the final third as Flynn and Sharp broke saw only a corner result when a shot should have been got away. The final whistle came soon after and the home fans went home happy as the Blades leapt up to 8th spot. In reality a play off spot is still very unlikely with an eight-point gap and only six games to play but the result would have been a welcome tonic for the under pressure Adkins.
United – It was a good performance. I am not getting carried away and it was certainly not amazing and we were not scintillating but it was so much better than it has been and against a high placed team. We moved it quite quickly first half; certainly quicker than we have been doing and played higher up the field in all areas. We scored two very well made and taken goals and defended well. The fact we restricted the team in third who have only lost once away to merely long rangers is impressive. I actually felt it was a controlled performance in that respect. Second half even though we were 2-0 up I thought they may come and have a real go and if they got one would have feared for us but it never happened and the game sort of petered out which suited United. The midfield did better in terms of at least some more harrying and work rate.
I felt Adams and Sharp worked hard again and were a threat and the two wing backs Done and Basham caused major problems all first half. They could not cope with Basham’s running and seemed unsure who was marking him. Our formation did seem to cause them issues and we seemed to have one-man spare. Second half it changed somewhat and they were more competitive but not enough to properly hurt United.
The defence did well against two dangerous strikers and were able to restrict them completely in this sense. I just felt overall we pressed higher and with more intensity all over the field and this led to some giveaways and us getting possession back or winning throws further up the field. I felt the crowd responded well to this increased intensity and recognised it. Basham became a talisman going forward and this was a surprise but it worked.
It was as comfortable a win as I have seen this season. I felt after the break we played it right. Sure we did not create many clear chances but I felt we still kept it well when we could and defended sensibly. Some may have wanted us to go for more goals but we did not need to. Walsall were struggling to break us down and the game was just passing by without many chances either way which suited United.
It is frustrating that we showed with more commitment, organisation and erm…resilience we should have won a lot more games and been a lot higher up. Whetever issues we have with the manager and the players. Both could have done much better. They have showed that in the performance but these have been all too rare.
Walsall – Thought they were really poor. Whenever I have seen them this season they have been a good footballing side who have knocked it about well and moved it with pace. Dangerous forwards like Bradshaw and the lad Sawyers have meant they are a very capable side and away record proves this. Today they never seemed to get going and I felt United won at a canter. We got the two first half goals and after this they never really threatened. They had a few corners and some long rangers but in the final third they were poor and never really penetrated. The strikers did not get much service either. I thought the defence struggled at times and for once they never really got to grips with our system and Basham and Done caused all sorts of problems. The former scored and made the second and at times seemed to run amok down the right hand side.
They did not really have the same sharpness and zest I have seen from them in other games. I also think the break did not do them much good as they seemed sluggish and it was strangely United despite having played twice since them, looked sharper and hungrier.
Odd season for them as they have had 3 managers. Smith of course was taken by Brentford after doing such a great job and then it was an odd situation when O’Driscoll came in and left quite quickly despite them still being near top. 16 games seemed a very short amount of time. I know they had dropped off though and lost 6 in a row at home I think. It seems the home form did for him and may be that stops them from going up automatically. I am unsure if I would fancy them in the playoffs. I suppose you don’t know over 2/3 games but I am not sure they have enough compared to some of the other teams. Just an opinion of course.
Opponent man of the match: Hard to pick anyone out really. Even though he played on the side where Basham did so much damage I still though going forward the lad Henry was dangerous at times and is a talent at only 18 but he was driven back by Basham first half and that saw problems. At times him and Taylor did not know who was marking him and they tried to switch to 3 at the back but by this point it was too late. However, the most dangerous player may have been the lad Forde. He was only on for 20 minutes and he had at least 4 efforts on goal including one good shot just wide.
Opponent Weak link: You would have thought Bradshaw and Sawyers would have been the ones we had to look out for. They have been the two danger men this season. The former got started of service and only had a few half chances. However, Sawyers a player I really like was a big disappointment. He did not get on the ball and did not really offer any threat. They were unable to put United under any real pressure at all today which surprised me. At the back the centre halves struggles with Sharp and Adams movement and I do rate the lad Downing; probably the player we should have gone for when we signed the slow and clumsy Butler (showing how poor he is at Doncaster at the moment). Taylor actually played a few neat balls but looked slow and I am amazed he is a regular in a side going for promotion.
SUFC Player Ratings –
Long 7/10 – Steady enough. Had little to do. Saved a few long range shot that were comfortable. He caught a few crosses and took a few through balls but really untroubled. His kicking was good as he was given quite a few back passes. He is decent with both feet actually which I noticed today.
Basham 8/10 – Excellent. Man of the match. He ran all day, got up and down and scored one and made the other. Cannot do much more than that. He is a trier and always liked that about him and his effort was infectious today and led to others putting extra in too. First goal used his height to come in at the back post and was not picked up. Second was great skill to beat his man twice. He had two other good long range efforts and was so industrious all game. Not the most skilful but he is a player that never hides and puts effort in.
It was odd second half as the lad Henry was further forward, Basham just left him which was odd but they did not seem to get him the ball. The attitude seemed to be let them worry about me rather than the other way round which was refreshing.
I have been quite vocal about him feeling he is another not good enough but he did really well today. Needs to show this more consistently whatever position he is in.
Done 7.5/10 – He showed he cannot defend very well the other night and his new position definitely seems to suit him more at home than away from home. Today he got the defenders worrying about him as he bombed down the left. He was our main source early on and had 2 or 3 crosses in before one that led to the goal. He was a real threat. Second half he had to defend more and did not get forward as much but did ok. At times still not tight enough to his man and lacks defensive awareness. Still not sure long term if he can play this position due to defensive weaknesses but he does offer a lot going forward with his lung bursting runs.
McEveley 7.5/10 – Steady performance. One criticism is that he gave away two or three silly fouls including two right on the edge of the box that could have led to problems (they hit them all into the wall fortunately). Overall his defending was good. He read the game well and was able to cover in and round the back.
Edgar 7.5/10- As above. He was steady enough. He won headers and cleared it. Felt along with the rest he restricted some dangerous forwards and was on the front foot. Did what you expect of a defender. Still not convinced he gives us that dominating presence we need and that is why I probably would not sign him.
Baptiste 7/10 – As with the other defenders; he did his job that was expected of him. He made a few tackles and blocks and was also able to come out of defence well. He was struggling second half and only made an hour of the game before going off.
Flynn 6.5/10 – Quiet-ish today. I felt he did a job for the team but the game passed him by for long spells and I am not sure he got on the ball enough. I suppose his job today was to cover and stop some dangerous midfielders and he seemed more withdrawn than he has in games against Oldham/Crewe. Did a good job helping Basham as he attacked covering in behind him.
Hammond 6.5/10 – Thought he began well and broke up play when he could. He passed it short most of the time and cannot recall many forward passes or probing runs/balls. He just broke things up and shielded the defence but that is job done you could argue. I still do not think he does enough and at times still goes to floor too often. He committed a few more daft fouls and got his inevitable booking.
Coutts 7/10 – A better game with more effort all round. He actually really chased back today and that encouraged me more than his play on the ball. He did use it well and was neat and tidy and bought and won a few free kicks too. He did keep going and I felt saw a lot more industry and team play as he went with runners and did a job for the team. Too many times he has switched off allowing runners to get away but he stayed compact and was solid.
Sharp 7.5/10 – Worked hard all game and was a threat throughout in terms of always playing on the shoulder. He did not have that many efforts today. A couple of blocked shots/headers. His goal was superb. As bad as some of his misses have been he has scored some cracking goals and from fairly long range too. It was barely half a chance. Second half he had a decent chance but was too unselfish and tried to feed Flynn.
Adams 7.5/10 – He worked hard too and I feel last few games he has really put a lot of work in. Not everything has come off and at times his pieces of skill do not always work but love the fact he runs at defenders and tried to put them on the back foot/getting them turned. He did this a few times. Felt he ran himself into the ground and deserved his round of applause.
Subs
McGahey 7/10 – Came on for Baptiste and did well. He also had a few surging runs out from the back. He has been ok in the games recently. Still unsure of him long term though but credit to him for decent displays since he has come back into the team.
Woolford – Brought on right at the death for Coutts.
Calvert Lewin – As above. Came on last minute for Adams.
Manager – Adkins 8/10 – Tactically and formation wise we caused them all sort of problems. When I saw he played Basham at right wing back instead of say Flynn; I was astonished. I thought it was a very odd selection against the tricky Henry. Well it worked superbly. It sent the lad going back and they never coped with it. I felt in midfield and the strikers we pressed them and they could never get going. They are known as a good footballing side.
Ref – Lee Swabey. The yellow cards were all right for a cynical foul by Pennington on Adams and then similar at other end from McEveley. Hammond pulled someone back and the ref did well to go back and book him. Outside of this cannot recall many bad fouls all game really. They were a few on the edge of both boxes rightly given but in general play the game passed without incident. Cannot recall him getting much wrong and he tried to let the game flow.
Crowd – 19,214. There did not seem to be anywhere near that many in the stadium. I would have said it looked more like 16-17,000 at best. It was said Walsall brought a 1,072 which seemed generous too. They were relatively quiet but with the goals going in first half had little to get behind. United fans were buoyed by better start and the goals and kept with the team and were praiseworthy of players and team. No one played particularly poorly all game. It was very steady performance from most and some were good. Overall the fans enjoyed a better performance and win.
