Garner: Burton could have scored five or six at Walsall

Posted Sunday, November 04, 2018 by PA

Coach Andy Garner insists Burton must improve on their finishing, despite the fact they capped a memorable week with a convincing 3-1 win at Walsall.

Four days after moving into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals by beating Nottingham Forest, goals from Jamie Allen, Devante Cole and Scott Fraser lifted Burton to 14th in Sky Bet League One.

Burton should have won by more, twice hitting the frame of the goal through Liam Boyce’s early penalty and Stephen Quinn’s strike.

Walsall improved in the final half hour and Andy Cook – who earlier hit the post from two yards out with the goal gaping – pulled one back by turning home Morgan Ferrier’s cross.

Burton had to survive late Saddlers pressure, with keeper Brad Collins denying Ferrier, and Garner said the Brewers should have been out of sight.

He added: “We were the better side throughout the game but we have got to start taking our chances and putting teams to bed.

“We’ve scored three goals and we are disappointed because it could have been five or six.

“But it’s been a fantastic week, after a very hard game in midweek, and we are absolutely delighted with the performance and the three points.

“It’s the FA Cup next week and when you look at the table, if we had lost today we could have been in the bottom five, so it was a really, really important game for us.

“We were wondering before the game whether there would be after-effects from the Forest game but we were on the front foot from the go – for the first 20 minutes, we were absolutely outstanding.

“We know, over the past three or four games, we are playing well and hopefully we are going to climb that table.”

Walsall dropped to 10th after a third defeat in four matches and dejected boss Dean Keates said: “We killed ourselves. And that is no disrespect to Burton, they played well.

“But we have had an input in every single goal we have conceded. I’m disappointed, I’m frustrated.

“Both teams set up in a similar shape but we didn’t keep possession of the ball. We didn’t use the man in the middle of the park.

“Both teams had that extra man but we didn’t have enough composure to make passes. It’s disappointing and we have to regroup.

“First half we were nowhere near it but I think we showed a bit more character in the second half, we played a little bit brighter and looked a little bit like our old selves.

“As I’ve said from day one, they are a young group and they have to learn.

“The good thing is we have got a game on Tuesday night. We can get it out of our system and hopefully get a reaction.”