By Neil Ravenscroft
November 21 2004

It was ninety minutes that were a microcosm of the season so far, but it was also three very welcome points, especially as Oldham won at home and Torquay won away. Walsall started with Joe Murphy back in goal, Kinsella, who surprisingly replaced Standing, rather than Osborn or Wrack, Birch for Fryatt and Roper for the suspended Bennett and all of the players supposedly smarting from a Merson tongue lashing. For the first forty five minutes, it seemed to have made little or no difference.

The first half of this game was dreadful. Both teams were dreadful. What little qulaity on the ball that was being shown was from Walsall, that is true, but there was very little of it. Wrack was put through by a glorious ball from Kinsella, but wasted the one on one, Birch got his head to a cross, only to put the header well over from a good position amd Merson wasted a couple of good passing opportunities by shooting ineffectively. Wrack too was unlucky stretching to reach a flick on from Birch and Leitao just got a toe to a back pass to lift it over the keeper, only for it to drop just wide.
Unfortunately for Walsall, the one bit of quality from Peterborough was a neat one two between ex Saddler Clive Platt and new signing Wayne Purser which left Purser one on one with Murphy and he tucked the chance away (though Murphy should, perhaps, have done a little better). Apart from that, Posh had nothing. Platt was difficult to deal with in the air, though Roper soon started warming to the task and Purser lively, but their wingers were terrible, failing completely to expolit the space given to them by the narrow Walsall formation.

It all sounds like the game was interesting, but it wasn't. Simon Osborn had to go off with a cut on his head half way through the half, being replaced by Standing, but that made little difference, as Standing struggled to make an impact in a lack lustre side. This, however, did lead to the shameful episode of a small element of so called supporters cheering Osborn's departure with an injury.

It would be interesting to have been a fly on the wall of the dressing room at half time to hear what was said to whom and by whom, but the Saddlers came out looking far more urgent and purposeful. For the first fifteen minutes, we completely battered them. If the first half was Walsall "Mr Hyde" this season, this was Dr Jeckyl. Birch failed to control the ball in one decent oportunity, a teasing cross was knocked out for a corner as Wrack closed in and a header across goal from Birch found no red shirts. It did seem a major fault that we wer not getting enough bodies in the box to take advantage of the possession.

Around the hour mark came what was to prove the turning point of the game. a slip from Wright let in Purser again and he shot wide when he really should have scored. It was the only decent possession posh had had in the half so far and they needed to take advantage. Within a minute, a free kick from Merson floated over the big men in the box and Darren Wrack met the ball perfectly on the half volley, to steer it with the inside of the foot back across goal and inside the far post.

The Saddlers stepped up another gear at this pont and the pressure grew. Eventually, another insipid Peterborough attack was broken up, Merson released for a run down the middle and he played an exquisite through ball to Birch, who finished neatly.

This was surely the chance now for Walsall to push on and finish Peterborough off completely? No. In an episode reminicent of some of Colin Lee's worst moments, the entire team decided, for some reason, to start defending ten yards outside their own area. Birch and Leitao dropped virtually back into midfield, leaving Merson isolated up front and no one seemed willing to try and change it. With possession having been gifted to them, Peterborough dominated the closing stages, but, fortunately, they were so poor, they were unable to do anything with it. Even so, Walsall still had time to show their tactical naivity by not keeping possession on a couple of breaks and running down the clock. Merson himself lost the ball in injury time with an outrageous flick and Posh ended up getting a free kick on the edge of our box, which they wasted completely.

The importance of this result cannot be stressed too much. Oldham won at home Torquay, improbably, away, which means that whoever lost would look in trouble. indeed, Peterborough today are down to 22nd place.

As for Walsall, it is yet another chance to kick start this season, but don't get too carrried away. Posh were bad. Very, very bad. No, they were actually very, very, very bad. They were easily the worst team I've seen ay Bescot this season and I don't know what the bookies are offering on relegation for them, but anything better than 1 - 2, snatch their hands off. If Barry Fry could sack himself, he needs to do it now.

Emblen got the sponsor's man of the match and probably deserved it for his rock like performance and, I'm glad to say, Roper looked much more himself.
As for the rest? 1 out of 10 for the first half, 9 out of 10 for the first 30 minutes of the second half, then 1 out of 10 again! Talk about Jeckyl and Hyde. The team is still the perfect reflection of the Manager - brilliant one minute and awful the next. Still, consistency is something that can be worked on and we won't have a better opportunity to get our first away win of the season next week at rock bottom Stockport.