Manager Richard Money made 2 changes to the side that beat Grimsby with Daniel Fox coming in to replace Dean Keates on the left side of midfield and Swedish striker Par Cederqvist replaced Hector Sam, to make his first start in English football for The Saddlers after showing prospect and talent when he came of the bench against Grimsby Town.

The Saddlers lined up with Clayton Ince in goal, Chris Westwood, Ian Roper, Scott Dann and Kris Taylor across the defence, in midfield Daniel Fox, Michael Dobson, Craig Pead and Mark Wright and upfront Martin Butler and Par Cederqvist.  The Substitutes were goalkeeper Bertrand Bossu, Anthony Gerrard, Dean Keates, Tony Bedeau and Hector Sam.

Mansfield won a free kick in a dangerous position in just the fifth minute after a foul by Walsall defender Kris Taylor, when the ball got out wide and was played into the danger zone, Saddlers goalkeeper Clayton Ince was impeded as he came to claim the ball which gave The Saddlers a chance to clear their lines.

Richard Money’s men got their noses in front with the first real chance of the game after eight minutes when a Walsall corner was curled in towards the far post, which was headed back into the path of long-serving defender Ian Roper who poked the ball into the back of the net for his forth goal of the campaign. 

Just after The Saddlers had taken he lead, goalkeeper Clayton Ince had to make a smart block after Kris Taylor lost possession and a long ball over the top picked out Barry Conlon who closed in on goal but Ince was alert to the danger.  Within a minute of making that block Mansfield took the lead were The Saddlers defence was caught off guard, when an inviting ball came into the box from the left and the in form Conlon managed to sweep the ball to level the scoring.

Matthew Hamshaw fired a shot wide of the target for the home side after Walsall had only half cleared the ball, as they looked to take a 2-1 lead against the team at the top of League 2, another chance for the home side was when Hamshaw saw a free-kick cause The Saddlers defence problems six minutes later, Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince managed to get the ball over the bar, which resulted in a Mansfield corner.  From the resulting flag kick found its way onto the head of Town striker Conlon whose powerful shot flew narrowly over the crossbar.

On a very windy day afternoon, Richard Money’s men were struggling to get their game together against a battling Mansfield Town side, who ere under the guidance of returning boss, Barry Dearden.

Just before half time, poor defending by The Saddlers allowed Simon Brown to pick out Conlon out who was in space who fired wide of the mark.  In the first half injury time, midfielder Daniel Fox was off target with an ambitious shot as the ball came out to him on the edge of the area, but the two sides went in level at the break.

The Saddlers made one change during the interval when the poor Par Cederqvist made way for Trinidad and Tobago striker Hector Sam, he soon got into the action as he twisted and turned near the bar-line just inside the area before delivering a dangerous ball into the danger zone, where scorer of the first goal Ian Roper’s header was easy for Jason White in The Stags’ goal to gather.

The home side took the lead when Taylor’s poor clearance fell to Brown who delivered a high ball into the danger zone, and as the ball appeared to be held up in the wind Martin Gritton on loan from Lincoln City until the end of the season managed to get his header past Saddlers ‘keeper Clayton Ince.

Local boy Dean Keates replaced Mark Wright just past the hour mark, before Scott Dann brought Stephen Dawson as the home side launched a positive attack on goal in search of a goal, which would put the game beyond all doubt.

A ball over the top set Gritton away on 72 minutes and as Ince hesitated, the Mansfield striker was able to lob the ball over the Saddlers ‘keeper but luckily the ball sailed wide of the mark as Roper came back to cover.  At the other end, substitute striker Hector Sam linked up with his strike partner Martin Butler in search of an equalising goal, but the Saddlers striker was crowded as he thought of shooting.

Walsall made their third and final change of the game when Tony Bedeau came on to replace Daniel Fox just before a foul on Martin Butler which allowed Dean Keates to whip a ball into the box but the delivery was poor and easy for the Mansfield defence to deal with and get the ball clear of danger.

There was one last chance for The Saddlers to steal a point from this encounter in the 91st minute when Hector Sam looked lively and rounded the Mansfield ‘keeper before managing to pull the ball back into the path of Dean Keates, but a defender was at the home team had a defender on the line to stop The Saddlers equalising and the ball was cleared away from danger.

The Saddlers will now be looking towards the home clash against Boston United were Richard Money’s men will be looking to get back to winning ways following this disappointing defeat and we can expect the manager, Money, to make a few changes to the side.

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