By TheSaddlersFC Team
November 3 2002

Only a dodgy five minute spell while three nil up tarnished another wise classy and solid display by the Saddlers. Leitao bagged a brace while Junior and Aranalde also added to their increasing goal tallies. Stoke were poor, and on this evidence will struggle to stay up.

Walsall 4-2 Stoke City 

Goals : Leitao 50'  Leitao 56 Junior 65' Aranalde 83'  (Walsall) Cook 75' 81' (Stoke City)
Man of the Match: Ian Roper (Walsall)
vvv
Walsall - Ward , Bazeley , Hay , Roper , Aranalde , Wrack , Sonner , Simpson , Corica , Leitao , Junior Subs: Harris , Matias , Herivelto , Zdrilic , Barras Walsall Form - Exellent
Stoke City -Cutler , Thomas , Shtanuk , Handyside , Clarke , Gudjonsson , Gunnarsson , O'Connor , Neal , Iwelumo , Mooney Subs: Viander , Greenacre , Cooke , Henry , Vandeurzen Stoke City Form - Woeful
Bookings : Roper 73, Ward 78 (Walsall)

 Full Time Match Report by 4two & Alan Stokes

Colin Lee named Danny Hay as Skipper as Walsall were without their two most experienced players, Walker and O'Connor. Walsall Vs Stoke has traditionally become a fiery and entertaining encounter in the past few years, and the second half of this game lived up to this billing.

The First half wasn't the most entertaining half of football the Bescot has seen this season. Stoke had the best of the opening 10 minutes, with the first chance of the game falling to Mooney on 10 minutes, but he only managed to put in to the arms of Ward from just inside the penalty box. Junior did have two half chances during the early stages, but they failed to trouble Cutler. Stoke were having a series of free kicks and corners, which they seemed unable to produce anything from.

Stoke seemed to lack the quality of the Saddlers. Walsall were able to knock the ball around and times, and, put some good moves together. Stoke however seemed intent on hoofing the ball up field to Iwelumo and Mooney, a tactic that was going to suit Roper and Hay, who have only really struggled against pacy forwards this season.

The game began to be dominated by a number of cynical and niggly fouls. Danny Sonner was particularly guilty of these, and it is a facet of his play that can be quiet frustrating.  Equally as frustrating was the amount of time Junior was spending on his backside moaning at the referee and the shirt tugging the Stoke players were guilty of.

With 15 minutes till half time the game seemed to spring in to life. James O'Connor went close for Stoke with a right footed effort from 25 yards out, while Stevie Corica had saw an effort from a similar distance thwarted by Cutler. The final minutes of the first half saw some real end to end stuff, and a taster of what we were going to see in the second half. Wayne Thomas saw his effort parried by Ward, before Corica had another half chance from the edge of the area, that Cutler was always going to be able to deal with.

Half Time: Saddlers 0-0 Stoke City

The second half exploded into action with Leitao netting a superb goal five minutes in to the half to put the Saddlers 1 up.  Stoke immediately went to the other end and Brynjar Gunnarsson saw his goal bound shot from 25 yards come out of the inside of the post. six minutes later a sublime flick on from Junior put Jorge Leitao through who again netted in fantastic fashion.

 Walsall were in cruise control thereafter with Junior harassing a defender to put the ball into his own net, after some good work by Corica released Leitao down the left flank who to cross the ball in to Junior, who put the defender under pressure as they both slid, sending the ball in to the back of the net, 3-0.

The Stoke passing was appalling, Walsall were yet again showing them the way to play the game. Another thrashing seemed on the cards. But, then the great Bescot throw away came in to play. Stoke scored in somewhat dubious circumstances with Wobbly Ward being judged to have carried the ball over his own line on 75 minutes, after a Neal Corner had found its way to Cooke inside the six yard box, which caused all the shenanigans. Walsall were firmly on the back foot, and the memories of the previous throw away's came flooding back, and minutes later a Mooney shot was blocked 20 yards out, as Stokes spirits appeared to have been lifted. Cooke (81') then added a second shortly after to make it 3-2 after another Neal Corner had troubled the Walsall defence.

 By this time the wobbles had set in big time with all at Bescot anticipating another collapse. However, Zdrilic had other ideas holding the ball up well in the penalty box "allowing" the defender to tug him down to gain a valuable penalty. Excellent play from the Aussie. Then, cool as a cucumber, Red Boots (Aranalde, 83) hammered in the spot kick to give the Saddlers all 3 points. Thomas and Gunnarsson did have long range efforts, but Stoke were dead and buried, their mini fight back ended.

 

TheSaddlersFC Player Form     by 4two, Alan Stokes & Neil Ravenscroft.

  Ward 6, Aranalde 7, Hay 7, Roper 7, Bazeley 7, Wrack 8, Simpson 7, Sonner 6, Corica 6, Junior 7, Leitao 8  SUBS:  Zrdilic 7. Barras 7.

Leitao's clinical finishing wins him TheSaddlersFC man of the match award. Danny Hay ran him close with a solid performance as Skipper, as Did Zigore Aranalde who hardly put a foot wrong all afternoon. Darren Wrack is continually improving, and is now starting to get behind players rather than playing in front of them. Corica was on the fringe of the game, with only spurts of involvement. At times Corica doesn't seem strong enough.

 Nationwide League Division 1 - Goals Scored at Home Column

The goals for column at home highlights the effectiveness of Colin Lee's attacking football at the Bescot, Then again we are the only side in this top 6 however with a negative goal difference.

		Home										Away
	Pld	W		D		L		F		A	W		D		L		F		A	GD		Pts
Portsmouth	16	7		1		1		21		8	5		1		1		14		7	20		38
Nottm Forest	16	5		2		1		20		8	3		3		2		9		7	14		29
Watford	17	6		3		0		18		8	3		1		4		6		15	1		31
Wolves	15	4		1		2		17		8	3		2		3		15		10	14		24
Leicester	16	7		0		1		16		4	3		4		1		9		10	11		34
Walsall	17	3		1		5		16		19	2		3		3		10		10	-3		19
Norwich	17	5		2		1		15		4	3		4		2		13		11	13		30
Palace	15	2		3		2		14		9	2		5		1		12		11	6		20
Wimbledon	17	4		1		4		14		13	1		3		4		6		12	-5		19
Preston	16	3		3		2		13		11	1		5		2		11		14	-1		20

After Match Reaction - by The Fans

Reaction : 4two - We predicted a four goal victory. We got our 4 Walsall goals, but the two Stoke ones were disappointing.  To have conceded 2 goals at home too a side almost certain to be going down, isn't anything to shout about.  Over all Walsall's quality shone through over  Stokes primitive style of play which will get them no where in this division.  Again, we were good coming forward and a little shaky at the back. But considering Ward was in place, and it was a new situation all went well with only the odd mix up. When Stoke got their two goals everyone must have thought about the Preston and Palace games, but today showed we learned our lessons and didn't cave in. Now all we need to do is make sure we don't let these fight backs start. As for Stoke, they are certainly relegation fodder and the attitude of their fans compounds this belief.

Who's place may be under threat ?	Danny Sonner, nowhere near as influential as O'Connor. Darren Ward, not enough to worry Jimmy.
How Did Colin Lee do today?	The lads had the right mentality, attack, attack, attack. We have stuffed the primates from up the road, we cannot complain.
TheSaddlersFC Recommends....	That Lee tells the defence to concentrate, and drum it in that no lead is  a safe lead !

Reaction : Neil Ravenscroft - We always beat Sjoke 4 - 2 at home. It's getting to be a tradition. Pity we won't have the chance next season. Mind you, I'm not sure from the results that they might stay up, as Grimsby, Brighton and Weddy might be even worse.

Reaction : Cannock -What a relief, 3 points at home and to make it even sweeter it came against the vile Stoke, possibly the most hated team in the football league. The 3 points were desperately needed after the shenanigans against Palace and were most welcome in a not too convincing display

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