Walsall take pride in defeat

Carlisle 2 Walsall 1

The unbeaten league run is finally over, but on this evidence another one won't be too far away, writes Sean Calvert.

Walsall emerged pointless from Brunton Park, as the vast majority of visitors to Carlisle's fortress have tended to do this season, but how they managed it will remain a mystery.

The Saddlers have conducted a few smash and grab raids on their travels of late – notably at Oldham and Port Vale – but this time the tables were well and truly turned on them by their Cumbrian opponents.

For despite taking the lead and then totally dominating the second half, Walsall failed to turn their territorial advantage into goals and in the end paid the ultimate price.

Edrissa Sonko and Troy Deeney were both guilty of missing excellent chances during their 25 minutes of second half dominance, but they were caught by a sucker punch from Carlisle and all of a sudden the 17 game unbeaten streak was over.

Once again, though, results around them went their way with defeats for Leeds and Nottingham Forest, but Tranmere's victory at Elland Road, their fourth consecutive win, has seen them gatecrash the play-off party.

How long Walsall can remain in contention for the play-offs will largely depend upon how they replace Scott Dann and whether Richard Money can find an answer to their current lack of goals.

Of the current top 10 clubs in League One, only Tranmere have scored fewer goals and as Kevin Betsy is likely to be deployed mainly on the right wing, assuming that Saturday's evidence is anything to go by, the Saddlers have a definite issue with finding the back of the net.

A scoring rate of one goal per game, which is their average over the last five matches, will not consolidate their position in the top six for long unless the new-look back four can continue their fine record of clean sheets.

Ian Roper produced a fine performance against the tricky skills of Joe Garner and the pace of former Albion striker Scott Dobie, but Money has admitted that he is looking to bring another centre-half in on loan, as injuries and suspensions would leave them short of experienced options at the back.

Deeney needs a goal to add to his excellent all-round displays and Money will be hoping that one will lead to more for the young striker.

His goalscoring record at all previous levels of football suggests that this will come sooner rather than later for the 19-year-old, but the manager will be attempting to secure the services of an experienced front man in any event.

This is to take nothing away from an incredible sequence of results that saw Walsall climb from bottom of the league in September to promotion contenders by Christmas – a turn around in fortunes that few dreamt was possible during the early stages of this campaign.

Carlisle began the match at an impressive pace, no doubt borne out of the confidence gained by suffering only one defeat at home all season and this result equalled the club record of nine consecutive home victories.

Walsall, as they tend to do, held on resolutely during the opening stages of pressure from the home side and Roper and Anthony Gerrard were prominent in keeping the match goalless for the first 20 minutes.

Their five-man midfield consisting of the returning Mark Bradley in the centre, along with Darren Wrack and Sonko and Betsy and Holmes on the flanks gradually managed to get a hold on the match and this solid platform enabled them to take the lead with Holmes' first goal for the club.

Confused

An innocuous looking flick-on from Mooney from a right wing throw bounced awkwardly and completely confused Arnison, who committed the cardinal defender's sin of allowing the ball to bounce, and it went over his head leaving Holmes the relatively simple task of slotting it past Westwood.

The main talking point and the incident that sparked fury from Money, who at one point vented his anger at the fourth official in no uncertain terms, allowed Carlisle to equalise when referee Eddie Ilderton gave them a penalty after half an hour.

A speculative but fierce effort from Marc Bridge-Wilkinson from just outside the area struck Paul Boertien somewhere near the arm and the official pointed to the spot to the incredulity of all concerned.

The lifeline was taken by Bridge-Wilkinson and Carlisle were back in it.

Richard Taundry had come on to replace Bradley, who had suffered an ankle injury, meaning he misses out on international duty for Wales tomorrow, but this gave extra impetus to the Saddlers, as Taundry began to put himself about in the middle of the park.

As the heavens opened and the forecast rain and sleet began to pour down upon Brunton Park in time for the restart, Walsall began to really impose themselves on the game.

The first 25 minutes of the second period was all Walsall, as Carlisle struggled to get out of their own half.

The Saddlers should have put the match beyond doubt during that spell of dominance, but great chances that fell to Sonko and Deeney, in addition to numerous other half chances, were squandered and they were made to pay when Carlisle edged ahead against the run of play.

Walsall and in particular Clayton Ince will be disappointed with the manner of the home side's winner, as it came by way of a header that Ince somehow allowed to slip under his body after the Saddlers had lost possession of the ball in a dangerous area.

This was an undeserved loss in the end, but if Walsall can keep playing in this manner and continue to find loan gems such as Holmes, the play-offs are still very much a possibility, even accounting for the loss of Daniel Fox and Dann.