Walsall 'almost perfect' - boss

Walsall boss Richard Money agreed that Saturday was an 'almost perfect' occasion as his team moved into the top half of League One with a third straight win.

And the Saddlers boss reckons the week carried significance beyond the nine points they collected.

"We've made a few brave decisions and I think so far they have paid off," said Money.

"If you take Tommy Mooney, Clayton Ince and Paul Hall out of the group of 16 we had an average age of under 22.

"We started with five players under the age of 21, including two 19-year-olds, and not only have we picked up nine points from three games in a week, we have seen the emergence of some very talented young players and I think that augurs extremely well for the future.

"So from that point of view it was almost a perfect afternoon.

"It was really important, not just to the supporters but to the players as well, to come home and give a performance like that.

"We've been very good on the road as the people who follow us will testify. Away from home we've been excellent and it was important to the players to come home and produced a performance like that.

"They fully deserved it after their efforts of the previous seven or eight days.

"We were also well aware that the home support needed to see something of what we had produced in the previous seven or eight days."

Money paid tribute to another fine display from youngster Mark Bradley, who formed part of a midfield trio with Dwayne Mattis and Michael Dobson.

"In the last home game against Oldham the sponsors must have drawn Rhys Weston's name out of the hat because they would have been really struggling to find a man-of-the-match," said Money.

"This game was totally different as they could have given any one of the team man-of-the-match but I think they probably got it right.

"I thought Mark Bradley and Dwayne Mattis were the key reason for the victory.

"They played with real energy and great forward running, made a million tackles and a million forward runs and I couldn't ask any more.

"It enabled Michael Dobson to get on the ball and make us play and the whole team can be really proud of their efforts."

Huddersfield boss Andy Ritchie was left pondering the reasons for his team's defeat. He said: "It was total disappointment. We were just lacklustre everywhere.

"I thought they knocked us around a bit and I'm not saying they were dirty. I just thought they were stronger in the challenge."

But Ritchie thought Saddlers winger Ishmel Demontagnac was lucky to avoid a red card for his first-half tackle on Frank Sinclair, who was sent off for two bookable offences.

"I thought the red card was a bit harsh but Frank has to be a bit cuter," said Ritchie.

"For the first yellow card, if their lad kicks someone off the ball and upends them it should be a red card for him."