We can be heroes, just for one day
David Bowie
Well after a mediocre season we called on the players to make themselves heroes for the day and they delivered….but my god they left it late!
Our favourite little cockney George Dobson elevated himself to legend status with his 91st minute strike which all but secured our League 1 status and condemned Northampton to League 2 football.
It was one of the most nervous afternoons I have to endure as a Walsall fan but one that will live long in the memory for all the right reasons. The class of 2018 will no longer be regarded as failures and no longer regarded as a squad who didn’t care about the badge – yesterday they proved they care!
Dean Keates once again kept everyone guessing with his starting XI as Kory Roberts came in for Liam Kinsella. Many expected us to line up with three at the back but Roberts slotted into right back (probably for more height and pace) and apart from the opening ten minutes he had a very comfortable afternoon.
Northampton started the game with purpose and could have easily taken the lead on numerous occasions. They identified our left side as our weak point (no surprise there) and time again their man got to the byline only to see his pull back elude his strikers.
Northampton nearly took the lead on two minutes. Matt Grimes found Daniel Powell and his shot seemed to have wrong footed Liam Roberts but somehow Roberts turned his body and push the ball onto the post with his finger tips. It was yet another sublime stop by the improving keeper….the ball fortunately bounced off the inside of the post and found its way back to him.
If you thought that was lucky then Northampton’s second best chance of the game was even more fortunate. With less than ten minutes to go Grimes miss hit shot was pushed onto the post by Roberts, the ball bounced off the post onto the keeper and then rolled along off the bar! Lady Luck was shining down on the Saddlers yesterday afternoon.
Then came THAT GOAL.
@georgedobson97 goal with Titanic music ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Vjtztohbqe
— Vital Walsall (@VitalWalsall) April 28, 2018
George Dobson started the move finding Ama Bakayoko with a pinpoint pass, Baka held up the ball for players to burst into the box and it was our little cockney George Dobson who sprinted 50 yards to get onto the return pass. Baka’s pass was in Dobsons word “caressed into the net” to send nearly 7,000 Walsall fans wild.
A mini pitch invasion occurred as many fans showed their excitement and the stanchion which held the goal net up nearly snapped when Nicky Devlin jumped into the net. The groundsmen managed to straighten the post slightly and the game restarted and the Saddlers held on to a massive three points.
This is why we love football and our club. Moments like these don’t come around often.
We now head to Bradford knowing a point will secure our League 1 safety.
Up the bloody Saddlers!
