Game of two halves

Cliches come to mind when looking back at this match, it’s a game of two halfs for example. Walsall should have gone into half time six nil up after a half of domination and clear missed chances but just had the one goal. Swindow were shell shocked but did come close when a Rob Douglas volley was cleared off the line by Mark Hughes.

Saddlers took a deserved lead when Troy Denney punished poor defending to volley past David Lucas. Denney went on to miss a further two chances, Byfield went close and Nicholls and Richards also missed clear chances.

The second half was a different story all together as the Saddlers sat back and just couldn’t cope with the Swindon pressure. The Robins should have levelled matters up a couple of minutes into the second half but Paynter somehow missed at the back stick with a stooping header. Then soon afterwards they looked like they’d earnt a penalty when Westlake dragged down a Swindon centre forward but the referee waved away the Swindon players claims. Then soon afterwards they did have a penalty when Westlake once again dragged a Swindon man – Paynter inside the penalty box. The former Vale man stepped up but his shot hit the post and went wide for a goal kick.

Things got worse for the Saddlers when Denney went off with an injury and was replaced by the hopeless and lazy Sam Parkin who seemed only to hinder the Saddlers’ cause as he constantly gave the ball away. Soon afterwards Swindon had another penalty this one was harsh the Swindon left winger semmed to be offside when he received the ball his past into the box was met by the sliding Mark Hughes and the skipper was harshly accused of handball. This time Paynter made no mistake and there only seemed to be one winner of this match and it wasn’t the Saddlers.

One more moment of controversy – Byfield ran through on goal – first he had his shirt pulled back by the Swindon defender and then he was shoved inside the penalty box. At first the referee waved away claims and gave a corner only for the linesman to alert him to a foul. Two decisions for the Referee – a penalty and a red card for the Swindon man as he was the last man back or a red card and free kick outside. But the Referee decided to bottle it and give a free kick outside the box and a yellow card to the Robins defender – trully terrible refereeing.

As I say a game of two halfs and now the Saddlers have won four out of their last twenty home matches and Mr. Bonser wonders why he can’t get bums on seats.