Scorers: N/A
H.T: 0-0
K.O: 3.00 Saturday 1st September 2018
Attendance: 4,762 (364)
Referee: Lee Swabey
Walsall manager: Dean Keates
Stadium: Bank’s Stadium
Changes in the table: Blackpool move up one place to 11th but Walsall fall to 5th
Form: WWW-DWD
Line-Ups:
Walsall XI: Roberts, Leahy, Dobson, Guthrie, Devlin, Morris, Ismail, Fitzwater, Osbourne, Ferrier, Cook
Subs: Dunn, Kinsella, Kouhyar, Cockerill-Mollett, Parker, Wilson, Gordon
Blackpool XI: Howard, Nottingham, O'Connor, Tilt, Bola, Turton, Spearing, Thompson, Delfouneso, Dodoo, Cullen
Subs: Mafoumbi, O’Connor, Taylor, Pritchard, Sinclair-Smith, Feeney, Gnanduillet
On a pleasant afternoon in the West Midlands it was Blackpool who started the best in their all white strip. A well worked move from kick-off found Delfouneso but, despite his cross being close to Dodoo, the on-loan Rangers man could not contact with Delfouneso’s cross. Blackpool were honestly playing quality football, something you wouldn’t expect of them away from home, as their possession play was excellent. Their passing range was displayed by Howard who found Cullen high up the pitch after a Walsall counter attack. Cullen would then find Bola in the box and despite his first touch narrowing the angle, the powerful strike had to be parried away by Roberts.
Walsall were by far second best in this match, as the best of their opportunities was more of a speculative one. In the 9th minute Ferrier cut in onto his right foot but, just as the chance looked to be of worth, he fired his shot literally out of the Bank’s stadium.
So, having asserted their early dominance Blackpool would continue to show their quality, this time from a freekick. Jay Spearing delivered a pacy cross that wasn’t properly cleared and even if Dodoo’s effort was well crafted it was nevertheless just wide of the target. Jordan Thompson would have a strike 5 minutes later on 19 minutes but it was blocked despite the Blackpool pressure beginning to accumulate.
Blackpool were also showing that when Walsall did attack that they were able to thwart it. First, in the 19th minute a pass towards Cook was very well dealt with by the returning Tilt, who showed just why Ipswich rated him so highly as he prevented a goal scoring opportunity. Then, a freekick, with set pieces seemingly the best way for Walsall to get into this one, was fired over by Zeli and failed to threaten Howard in the 23rd minute.
So Blackpool again were able to build upon what they already had with the scores still level as they began further fluid passing moves that would eventually lead to a corner in the 30th minute. This would be Blackpool’s best chance of the match so far as Tilt was left unmarked, hanging at the back post. It would have been great to see him score on his return, not to mention how it would bolster his confidence and really, he did everything but score as he witnessed his powerful downward header cleared off the line. Close, but Blackpool would have to go again in search of the opener.
A couple of long distance shots were all Blackpool had left in the tank in the first half. First, Dodoo had a freekick but similarly to Zeli his strike was just over the crossbar. The best chance out of the two, then, was when Jay Spearing cut in from the left and hit a low moving shot that was dealt with well by Roberts who caught it after deflecting it into the air.
Walsall were a form side and Blackpool were dominating so naturally you would expect Walsall to come out a much-improved side in the second half. That however couldn’t be further from the truth as Blackpool seemed even better than they were in the first half. Joe Dodoo made way for Liam Feeney at the break and he was even more influential than Dodoo was in the first half as he was at the end of the first chance in the second half. In the 48th minute a whipped ball by Nathan Delfouneso found the experienced winger, but he failed to direct his header on target at the back post. Feeney would persist with his initial involvement as he would now find Cullen, but unfortunately, despite Cullen getting there first, the goalkeeper did well to deal with it, willing to get injured for the cause.
Once more, similarly to the first half, this pressure would lead up to a crescendo point and this time I really don’t know how it didn’t result in a goal. A corner would eventually find Feeney again in the 57th minute but his shot was deflected but only as far as Mark Cullen who had the goal at his mercy. Cullen, with no keeper in the goal, would go on to volley his shot wide and miss what would be the best opportunity of the game, there is no doubt in that statement.
Blackpool were persistent, but lacking a ruthless nature as chances would continue to come and go, as if on a merry-go-round. In the 59th minute a Heneghan header was not dealt with by Roberts in the Walsall goal but Blackpool were not sharp enough to pounce and it was cleared by Walsall. Again, Nottingham would have a sight of goal and looked destined to score, but took too long to pick his spot and missed the target whilst under severe pressure. It would have been criminal, therefore, if Walsall were to take the lead, and they almost did as they began a good spell of their own in the 64th minute winning a couple of corners. Then, in the 68th minute Walsall would have an opening, but resolute defending, as always, from Blackpool saw Morris’ shot deflected over the bar to which Howard applauded.
So, we were now well on our way to the end of the match and it was same old Blackpool. They had been absolutely dominant and for what? They had nothing to show for it and even if they were not short of ideas, their final product was still amiss. Blackpool began their final push in the 85th minute as Blackpool broke forward with Bola who fed Pritchard. But again, despite Pritchard pivoting and striking his shot well, it was deflected and fell favourably into the arms of the goalkeeper. But not to forget also, Walsall were still there, they could still win this game and they almost did in the 89th minute as substitute Wilson was left unmarked following a corner. His header however lacked conviction and substance and weakly fell into the crowd behind the goal.
How did we still not have a goal in such an energetic match? Well we now had the next best thing, an offside goal for Blackpool as Delfouneso rounded the goalkeeper and tapped it into an empty net only to be adjudged to be offside. The final chance would again fall to Blackpool as Pritchard passed towards Gnanduillet, but the big French striker would this time drag his shot wide of the target. An underwhelming shot in what was an underwhelming game.
But, in a game like this you have to take the positives and there were a lot of them. Let’s not forget that Walsall so far have been the surprise package of League One and at the start of the day they sat in fourth position, so to get a draw away from home against them can never be a bad result. Not only this, but the performance was outstanding as each and every player left their heart and sole on the pitch, especially with the likes of Jay Spearing and Mark Cullen working tirelessly. Blackpool’s possession play was also excellent, as they passed like a team much superior than themselves and with Thompson pulling the strings and Jay Spearing unleashing pinpoint diagonal passes it is unbelievable how they didn’t find a goal. Could it be put down to Cullen’s isolation up top, I think not because of the countless chances they had, so it must have simply been down to Blackpool lacking that clinical edge once they got in a shooting position. Defensively, Blackpool were also brilliant as Bola fit the system very well and Tilt seeming as if he had never vacated those Blackpool back lines. But most impressive of all was Blackpool’s team spirit. It was clear today that they wanted to play for the manager and they really believed in what they were doing. Jay Spearing was a clear leader out on the pitch and he, more than anyone, must be congratulated for his belief in the team in such difficult circumstances. What the future holds for McPhillips, we are likely to find out next week, but it is clear the players only want one man in charge and that is him.
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