Keates full of praise as Saddlers dig deep
DEAN KEATES was the happier of the two managers as he watched his Walsall side follow up last week’s 3-2 victory over Bradford with a solid point at Burton Albion.
“There are a lot more positives than negatives for us today,” Keates reflected after the game. “We wanted a clean sheet, which we got, and on another day if the keeper doesn’t get a fingertip to Josh’s header we walk away with three points.”
That header from Josh Gordon came after 79 minutes and saw Burton keeper Bradley Collins produce an outstanding reaction save, diving to his left to claw away the striker’s goal-bound effort from Matt Jarvis’s teasing cross.
“The keeper has pulled off an unbelievable save from the header.”
Burton had been the better side in the first half, but it was the visitors pressing more after half time, much to the delight of their boss.
“We spoke about it at half-time and felt we had another 15 or 20 per cent left in us. Second half, all credit to the lads, we were on the front foot,” he said.
Nigel Clough had to admit that his side are struggling for results on home turf, having taken just one point from their last two home games and having only scored once in their last four outings both home and away.
“It’s a struggle for us at the moment in terms of creating chances,” said Clough. “We had a few today, but not many and when they are dropping we are not putting them away.
“The main chance we had fell to David Templeton and the defender has got a block in right in front of the keeper. If that goes in it’s a different game.”
The first half saw Albion dominate for long periods.
Templeton looked to be Burton’s biggest threat when coming in from the left with a low shot blocked by Jon Guthrie inside the six yard box and a 25-yard effort that skewed wide.
The second half produced much better fare with Liam Roberts having to save from a dipping Colin Daniel effort, the rebound just eluding Liam Boyce, and Walsall carving out a decent chance when Zeli Ismail found Matt Jarvis in the box, the winger’s shot fizzing just wide.
Then, after 79 minutes, Gordon forced Collins into that excellent save from six yards out.