Match Reports

Walsall 0-0 Colchester United

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The Saddlers winless start to the season continued with another goalless draw to inspire the Banks`s faithful. Another raft of changes saw Liam Kinsella recalled at right back with James Connor moving across to centre back and Dean Holden dropping back to the bench after playing most of last week in place of the inured James Chambers. Reece Flanagan made his full debut and Kieron Morris also earned a start in place of the injured Ashley Grimes, and Antony Forde who dropped to the bench.

The U`s had clearly done their homework on us and realised that, with our total lack of width, their best chance of success was down the flanks and to expose our full backs. Andy Taylor was having none of it, but Kinsella showed both his inexperience and the fact he`s not really a right back and was given a torrid afternoon by U`s winger Sanchez Watt.

That said, it was a relatively straight forward effort from Freddie Sears that came closest to breaking the deadlock when his 25 yard effort bounced off Richard O`Donnell`s right hand post before spinning across goal and going wide of the left one. In response, Bradshaw hit the bar with a looping header from a Billy Clifford free kick but, that aside, there was the usual lack of goalmouth action. A Taylor free kick that fizzed over on the stroke of half time the closest either side came after the opening exchanges.

The second half began in controversial manner when Watt was felled in the area by Paul Downing, only for the referee to wave play on. From where I was standing it looked nailed on, but the ref had other ideas.

We were proving as ineffective as ever with a lack of width, and a lack of runners from midfield, making us all too predictable and easy to defend against. We threatened to come to life later in the game when Flanagan skipped a couple of challenges before firing wide. Deano then changed it around a bit, with substitutes Benning and Forde providing width in the closing stages. A free kick from Forde forced the U`s keeper into a save that he made look more difficult than it was, and Bradshaw dragged a shot wide when he should really have taken it earlier.

But again it`s a game we`ve failed to win and/or score.

Something needs to change.

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