At the weekend, Conor Wilkinson returned to action with a bang, scoring in the dying seconds to secure the win for Walsall. Could he be the spark that Walsall need to start climbing up the table?
Depth and Tactics
It was a surprise to all to see Wilkinson on the bench after Taylor had spoken about his returning not being imminent just days before. Bringing him on when he did allowed Conor to get back out and playing, but also gave him the freedom to influence the match. Having Wilkinson as an option off the bench adds much needed depth to the squad, and it makes the squad much more rounded.
Against Salford, Walsall had both Tyrece Shade and Conor Wilkinson there to rotate and freshen up the attack. This is something that has been sorely missed for the Saddlers this season, and will hopefully bring with it competition for places, and more importantly, the chance to make substitutions.
Wilkinson is very different to Phillips on the wing, and this is crucial to changing a game in Walsall’s favour. Wilkinson looked hungry to get the ball, and with him preferring it at his feet, it means that Walsall have a target on the wing who can hold the ball up. He dropped deep to collect, and looked sharp on the ball to move it forward. Conor also found his team mates well with his passes, meaning Walsall retained possession.
Hunger
Wilkinson has a hunger to perform and score goals. That hunger had been growing before his injury, but was more apparent upon his return. The same drive and desire will be there when he comes up against former team Leyton Orient at the weekend. Wilkinson has previously admitted that facing former clubs is something that he relishes, and many Walsall fans will be hoping that this spark will see him repeating last weekends heroics. In fact, one of Wilkinson’s best performances for Leyton Orient were those against formers clubs such as Bolton.
There will also be a bit of a competition growing amongst the strikers at the club, and Conor has missed enough game time to see Miller and Phillips taking the lead on the goal chart, which is something that he will be looking to rectify quickly.
