Bad Day!

It was a drab affair at the Banks’ Stadium as both teams struggled to find the quality to get onto the scoresheet. If anybody was going to score it was going to be the team from Kent as the Saddlers only managed a meagre two shots on target in the whole match.

Walsall had returning hero Darren Byfield on the bench – Hughes who was touch and go was replaced by sicknote Stephen Roberts.

The Saddlers struggled to come to terms and it was Gillingham coming off the back of four defeats who dictated the pace of the match. The Gills had a disallowed goal after a handball from Dennis Oli. It was on the forty minute mark that Walsall registered their first shot on target – a tame effort by Steve Jones straight at veteran goalkeeper Simon Royce.

It didn’t get better in the second half for the Saddlers – there was no urgency in their play – midfield was all over the place and rarely did they try anything regarding a creative pass. Walsall came close to winning the match with twenty minute to go but Sam Parkin tried to be too cute placing his shot just wide off the top corner.

Not even the introduction of Byfield could fire the Saddlers up – but the legend did ample running as he tried but failed to win the match.

With five minutess to go it was the Gills who had a four on two move as they looked destined to win the match – but the immaculate Manny Smith got back to make an outstanding challenge.