Walsall reserve News

Port Vale 0 2 Walsall

Saddlers line-up (4-4-2)
Rene Gilmartin

Geordie Lyall
Mannie Smith
Kris Taylor
Ishmel Demontagnac

Mark Wright (Chris Hanna, 75 min.)
Mark Bradley (Capt.)
Charlton Davies
Leon Quarless (Peter Doran, 64 min.)

Pär Cederqvist
Troy Denney (Harry Harris, 80 min.)

Unused substitute:-
Aaron Skeldon (gk)

Goal log:-
37 min. 0-1 – Bradley header from a Lyall cross.
41 min. 0-2 – Quarless attempted to lob ‘keeper from outside the penalty-area but his shot hit the cross-bar and Denney scored from the rebound.

As you can see there was no sign of Allan Picken or Matt Carbon,although I understand the later is only here to regain fitness. The big suprise was that Ishy played at left-back until Doran came on – did o.k. there. Geordie Lyall again did well and didn’t doanything wrong and, got forward to support the attack. Surely he must be another option for the first team. If fact he actual layed on the first goal. Smith and Taylor were a class above most other players on the pitch.

The exception was in midfield, Bradley was easily the best player on the pitch – an excellent game. Wright looked like a player out of form and lacking confidence.

In attack, Denney was everything we have been lead to believe and Cederqvist nearly scored, but it concerns me that he doesn’t look like what we were lead to believe he was.

Biggest laugh was when Vale were awarded an unjustified penalty in second-half stoppage time (an alleged foul by Taylor on Dean Glover) but Glover blazed it over the bar, sorry but you have to laugh really.

In summary a good work out, Ishy seems to be improving the defensive side of his game. A number of players improved there standing and if they continue to improve the future could be bright, and Jeff wouldn’t have to spend much!! The only negatives is Wright who on todays showing seems to have taken the arrival of the two Kev’s badly. Of course the Alan Picken saga is another worry….I hope it doesn’t turn into a Ken Armstrong story.