Mat Sadler Pleased as Walsall's Winning Run Continues
12/30/2024 05:00 AM
Walsall boss Mat Sadler has praised his side for rising to the challenge as they made it six wins in as many games with a 2-0 triumph against Newport County at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
After playing out a goalless first-half, Nathan Lowe's second-half brace extended the Saddlers' unbeaten run to thirteen league games as they end 2024 twelve points clear at the top of the League Two table.
Sadler felt his side weren't aggressive enough in the opening forty-five but were able to put their stamp on the contest after the break, with on-loan Stoke City striker Lowe netting his fifteenth and sixteenth goals of the season.
Speaking to George Bennett of the Express & Star, Sadler said: "It was a really tough game, like I knew it would be. Newport have got a really good style.
"We were aware of that, and it took us a little bit of time and maybe half an hour into the game to really start to affect that.
"The pleasing thing for me was the lads did it without me having to tell them to do it. We were aware that we weren't as aggressive as we wanted to be, and we got together and got our wing-backs a lot higher.
"That really started to improve things in terms of that press. I showed a few clips on the screen at half-time about how we wanted to hurt them, and also about how we wanted to be more aggressive.
"I think we were from the first whistle in the second half, but we have to commend the opposition because they passed the ball around really well and made it a tough challenge.
"But credit to the group. We problem solved and got on top of the game and there was only one winner in the game so I was very pleased with that perspective."
