Saddlers  left wanting Moor Merse!

   Moor Green 0-1 Walsall

   Location: Moorlands, Moor Green

   Kick Off: 7-30pm

   Goals: Leitao

   Man of the Match: Aranalde

In Control

..

First Half: Walker, Bazeley, Emblen, Roper, Aranalde, Osborn, Merson, Samways (Pedro 40') , Oakes, Leitao, Wrack. 

Fans who took the opportunity to trek across Birmingham to the see the Saddlers  were able to see 45 minutes of Merson in a Walsall shirt. 

He lined up in a diamond shaped midfield which Samways anchored, Merson led and in which Osbourne and Oakes played a little wider than normal central midfielders do.

The early moments of the game saw us stroking the ball around nicely. The Moors struggled to get hold the ball and when they did it didnt last long as they either wasted possession or were dispossessed by a Saddlers player. 

Zigor and Bazeley were keen to get forward and they managed to deliver some early balls in to the box which unsettled the Moor Green keeper Adam Rachel. 

Merson played some balls outwide to Bazeley with the outside of his right foot and we saw a couple of bursts in to the box from the player. He was constantly talking to the lads on the pitch and playing a true captains role.  

Darren Wrack managed to miss a sitter during the first half as the ball fell to him on the left hand side of the six yard box only for him to scuff his shot and send it wide.  Jorge Leitao looked sharp, and managed to get the games only goal by rising above the static Moor Green defenders to loop a header over the keeper, from what was a fantastic ball from Darren Bazeley. 

The only worrying moment of the half for Walsall came when Neil Emblen sent a header high up in the air which the Moors chased but fail to capitalise on as Emblen and Walker tried to scramble the ball away. 

Samways and Leitao both had long range efforts that went close but neither managed to find there way in to the back of the net. Mersons only effort on goal was via a cheeky chip which went high and wide. 

Samways went off injured at half time and Colin Lee rung the changes.

Half Time: Moor Green 0-1 Saddlers

Second Half: Walker, Barrett, Emblen, Roper, Caines, Taylor, Stanley, Matias, Birch, Hawley, Fryatt. 

With all the changes the game lost what flow it had in the first half (and it didnt have all that much then).  Roper and Emblen continued in central defence and had to contend with a lively number 12 who was hungry for ball so he could run at the Walsall defence.

The second half was poor and the only highlights were a penalty miss from Gary Birch and Walker being called in to action after a close range header from Moor Green looked like it was going in with just minutes left.  Hawley and Fryatt had half chance, but nothing as good as the chances from the first half.

Full Time: Moor Green 0-1 Saddlers