Matthew Taylor impressed by Walsall’s character in last-gasp Salford win - 7M sport

Matthew Taylor impressed by Walsall’s character in last-gasp Salford win



Posted Sunday, October 10, 2021 by PA

Matthew Taylor impressed by Walsall’s character in last-gasp Salford win

Relieved Walsall boss Matthew Taylor praised his players for picking themselves up off the floor to beat Salford 2-1 courtesy of Conor Wilkinson’s stoppage-time winner.

The Saddlers have dropped several points from winning positions this season and a repeat looked on the cards when Salford skipper Ash Eastham cancelled out Kieran Phillips’ first-minute opener.

However, summer signing Wilkinson came off the bench after six weeks out with a hamstring injury to drill home at Tom King’s near post at the death and move Walsall four points clear of the bottom two.

“We started the game exceptionally well and had three or four other really exceptional chances that we didn’t take, and that’s been the story of the season for us,” said Taylor.

“You get that feeling of ‘is it going to happen again?’ when their goal goes in.

“However, I thought the players showed fantastic character, belief and energy to go and win the game in the 95th minute.

“There are clear signs they are becoming better in their belief of each other and that’s vitally important because we are a new group of staff and 13 new players.

“The performances we’ve had at home, especially in the last five or six games, have been good but we’ve made stupid errors and been punished.

“But we’ve still got to be more ruthless if we want to be a serious team this season because we create double figures-worth of chances every game and we’re not scoring enough.”

Salford goalkeeper King made fine stops from Brendan Kiernan, George Miller, Emmanuel Osadebe and Phillips to keep the visitors in it after the latter had opened the scoring just 29 seconds in.

But despite Eastham bundling home Ash Hunter’s corner 13 minutes from time, the Ammies slipped to a fourth away defeat in five.

“To concede the first goal in the manner we did is not acceptable but then I thought we controlled the game in terms of possession between both penalty boxes,” said Salford boss Gary Bowyer.

“We didn’t work the keeper enough but then second half we grew into the game and got the equaliser and looked like we were going to go on and get the second one.

“We haven’t been good enough in both penalty boxes, it’s as simple as that. The chances we had, we’ve not got on the end of them and we haven’t defended very well.

“Our decision-making and execution wasn’t quite at the levels it has been at. We’ve got to stop doing what we are doing at the moment in terms of giving goals away.

“I like watching us, the way we play, the way we go about it, but you have to win football matches.”

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