Match Reports

Walsall To Face Bolton In FA Cup Third Round After Surprising Victory Over Sunderland

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Well we wasn’t expecting that was we?

Even the most confident of Saddlers fans wouldn’t have expected us to progress into the third round of the FA Cup given Sunderland we’re undefeated in their last seventeen at home and had won eleven of them – however in true Walsall style we proved why supporting this club is the best thing in the world and our boys did us proud!

A thunderbolt by Liam Kinsella sent the 201 Saddlers fans home happy and set up a third round tie with Bolton Wanderers – only the second time we have made the third round in the past ten years.

Yes I know Sunderland aren’t the team they once were but this was only the second time this season that they had failed to score and for the first time in thirty one years the Black Cats had lost a Cup game before the third round – it was a special win.

Keatesy reverted back to his tried and tested 4-4-2 formation. WBA won’t allow Fitzwater or Wilson in the FA Cup, Cook was suspended and Dobson was injured so the team Keates picked more or less picked itself. With Guthrie and Martin alongside each other in the back line, Osbourne and Kinsella in midfield and Ferrier alongside Gordon upfront.

The Saddlers could have been in front a lot sooner that the fifty third minute but McLaughlin in the Sunderland goal thwarted efforts by Ferrier and Ginnelly.

However Kinsella picked up the ball thirty yards out and hit a thunderbolt into the top corner that gave McLaughlin no chance.

That was only Kinsella’s second professional goal for the Saddlers, his previous goal came against Burton Albion and….McLaughlin! Football is a funny ol’ game.

The Saddlers have now disposed of two former cup winners in Coventry and Sunderland – lets add Bolton to that list!

Our game with Bolton will take place over the weekend of the 5th January.

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