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Poor First Half, Spirited Second – Walsall 1-2 Blackburn

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The Saddlers came away from Saturdays game with League 1 leaders Blackburn wondering how we didnt get a point despite being played off the park for the opening forty four minutes.

Anyone inside the ground Saturday would have expected Blackburn to be three or four goals up by half time as it was clear to see the difference in quality between both sides, however Jack Fitzwater grabbed an unlikely goal for the Saddlers on the stroke of half time and the second half was one way traffic….from the home side.

Whitney made one change from the side which grabbed a point at Gillingham as Brentford loanee Justin Shaibu coming in for Amadou Bakayoko (Baka’s instagram shows now sign of injury so it would be interesting to see why he did not play)

Blackburn came out the traps fast and the menacing Elliott Bennett found his way to the byline but his cross was cleared superbly by George Dobson.

Blackburn took the lead not long after as Luke Leahy was too far inside and lost his man, cross came in and despite it bobbling around the Walsall defence they could not clear and Danny Graham prodded home off the post. I think it was Chambers who could have cleared the initial block.

Blackburn were two up in half hour as Leahy lost his man once more and the cross found Payne at the back post who nodded it back to an unmarked Graham and he guided his header past the helpless Liam Roberts.

Blackburn nearly went three up moments later, Leahy lost Armstrong once more and he darted into the box but he hit the crossbar when one on one with Liam Roberts – that would have been game, set and match.

The Saddlers were given a lifeline on the stroke of half time, a Walsall corner wasnt dealt with by Raya in the Blackburn goal and it fell to the feet of loanee Jack Fitzwater who rifled it into the roof of the net.

It was one way traffic in the second half as the Saddlers tried to find a way back into the game, however despite our onslaught we didnt test Raya as much as we should have done, with Ngoy scuffing his one on one effort however Oztumer came the closest for the Saddlers as his free kick which was heading for top bins, was superbly tipped over by Raya.

However the damage was done in the opening half hour and the Saddlers just couldnt get the point they needed or deserved and now head to Peterborough on Tuesday night knowing another defeat will drag the reds back amongst the League 1 dogfight and with trips to Southend, Shrewsbury, Bradford and a home game against Wigan – it really does make you worry.

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