Mat Sadler backs Walsall to make some noise in play-off chase

Posted Sunday, April 07, 2024 by PA

Walsall boss Mat Sadler believes his team will be in the League Two play-off race right to the wire after an impressive 3-1 comeback win against Tranmere.

Goals from Jamille Matt, Taylor Allen and Brandon Comley mean the Saddlers are now just three points outside of the top seven.

Sadler said: “It was a fantastic away performance today and I’m delighted for the near 800 fans who have followed us up the road once again.

“I thought we settled into the game really well and their goal shocked us a little bit, but the resilience of the guys to come in at half-time at 1-1 really impressed me.

“We can only control what we do and try to accumulate as many points as possible and it’s up to us now to recover after this and go again against Doncaster on Tuesday night.

“It’s going to go right down to the wire in terms of the play-off places and we’re going to be in there shouting.

“We’re a group that the supporters are proud of and we want to make them proud, we’ve known for a while that we can believe in ourselves and we have to keep showing the ability we showed today.”

Regan Hendry opened the scoring for the home side in the 24th minute when he placed a left-footed effort past Jackson Smith in the Walsall goal.

At the other end Isaac Hutchinson and Emmanuel Adegboyega were both thwarted by Luke McGee but the Rovers keeper was eventually beaten on the stroke of half-time by Matt’s header.

After the break the visitors looked the more dangerous and went ahead in the 57th minute when Allen’s free-kick deceived the Rovers defence and dropped in at the far post, with Comley clinching the points from 20 yards.

Tranmere boss Nigel Adkins said: “It was difficult for both sides today in challenging conditions and I thought we started really well, but I was disappointed with our performance in the second half.

“Just before half-time they scored and we went in level, which I thought was against the run of play.

“We’ve hit the woodwork twice but it’s fair to say that we didn’t start the second half in the same way that we started the first, but goals change games.

“We’ve conceded three goals from our point of view that I feel like we could have done a hell of a lot better with.

“We will get better and we won’t accept what happened in the second half and the players are well aware of that.

“I’m just really disappointed in the way that we’ve let that game get away from us in the second half.”