Mat Sadler thrilled with Walsall performance in win over Wrexham

Walsall manager Mat Sadler saluted his “brave and bold” side after they sunk high-flying Wrexham 3-1 with goals from Jack Earing, Isaac Hutchinson and Taylor Allen at the Bescot Stadium.

Earing, starting his first game for a year after an ACL injury, put the Saddlers in front early on.

Paul Mullin soon equalised from the penalty spot but second-half strikes from Isaac Hutchinson and substitute Taylor Allen secured the Saddlers a deserved win.

Sadler was thrilled with the way his resurgent side overcame the promotion chasers.

He said: “We could have scored more than the three we did. We were brave and we were bold which is what I asked the guys to be and I thought we played some fantastic stuff.

“It is a great result for our belief because we were really good against a Wrexham side which will go up.

“They are a fantastic team with players from levels above. They will go up, no doubt about that, but tonight we showed what we are all about.

“This division throws you up against so many different styles and threats and, in the main, we dealt with the threats that were posed to us and then we played some great football.

“Most pleasing was the way we came out in the second half and dominated the first 20 minutes.”

The Saddlers opened the scoring after 16 minutes when Freddie Draper’s backheel sent Earing behind the defence and the midfielder slotted past Arthur Okonkwo.

The lead lasted just eight minutes as Wrexham equalised from the spot.

Tom Knowles’ block of Paul Mullin’s thunderbolt was adjudged handball and Mullin blasted the penalty straight and high into the net.

It was the first goal Walsall had conceded at home in 390 minutes.

Walsall regained the lead on the hour when Hutchinson curled a 20-yard free-kick into the bottom corner.

Mullin then blasted against the underside of the bar but Allen secured the points with a tap-in from David Okagbue’s cross seven minutes from time.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “Obviously we are disappointed to lose but it was a good game.

“There was some good football played from both teams. In the second half I thought their second goal just gave them a huge lift of energy.

“It was two teams who have played back-to-back games quickly and that goal gave them a lift of adrenaline.

“We found it difficult to respond and probably tried to force things after that instead of going about it in a more constructive way.

“But we enjoyed the win at Swindon and we will take this one on the chin together and move on to Barrow on New Year’s Day.”