Just two minutes of normal time and we conceed a deflected equaliser. A well earned draw feels like a heavy defeat. The lads looked like they had lost the FA Cup final with hands on knees and heads hung low.Yet the Libert standium was filled with Welsh relief and Saddlers applause, it is a result we would have settled for at 3pm.
Swansea started well and Fallons ability in the air causing concern with Trundles ability showing why Swansea are so potent going forward. Despite Swansea going close in the first 10 minutes it was the Saddlers that went ahead. Mark Wright went down under a challenge from Williams on the right. Williams was booked for dissent as he thought Wright went down to easy. Then for the first time a training ground move plays off, as Devlin pulls back off his marker to hit Simon Osborns free kick low into the net.
Both sides will then look back on chances to change the game, Swansea hit the post with Martinez failing to head into an empty net on the rebound.Also Fallon slid in on Robinsons left wing curling shot only to deflect it wide, where from our angle it looked like it would have gone in anyway…..cheers Rory. Walsall also had there chances the best falling to Barrowman who rounded Gueret in goal but his shot lacked the power to take it past Tate on the line. Swansea’s defence also cleared off the line after Wright lobbed the keeper from distance, following Gyerets charge out of the area and poor clearence.
At half time Kenny Jacket brought on another striker Leon Knight for Britton. This was an attempt to open up our left hand side where James and stand in full back, midfielder Grant Smithhad shown a lack of ounderstanding and positional sense. However the defence without influential centre back Ian Roper stood firm.
Swansea, had the lions share of the ball in the second half but Walsall also had some clear chances to finish the game. Barrowman shot hard at the keeper whena pass through to Wright would have put him clear, can’t blame a striker for shooting though. James beat the keeper only to see it go past the far post. But in the closing stages sub Scot Fitzgerald clean through turned back to beat Monk, but instead of pushing it and progressing into the box he went for the spectacular curling shot into the far corner, only to provide an easy save for Gueret. Minutes later Swansea equalised when a shot from outside the box from Akinfenwa was deflected and looped past Oakes into the net, 88th minute I ask you!
If this wasn’t bad enough there was four minutes of added time and Walsall started to panic that they might lose and Swansea dominated the closing stages, but Walsall hung on for the point they deserved.
Manager Rating
Well oraganised, subsitutions didn’t quite come off, but we have in the past wondered why subs have not been used so we can’t have it both ways
