George Bennett analysis: Saddlers soar to the summit with a statement win

The occasion felt special with over 2,700 Saddlers supporters descending on Vale Park to witness their side produce a true test of character. 

While the weather threatened to spoil proceedings, Walsall battled valiantly against the relentless gusts of wind which created such a scrappy affair, especially in the first half. 

It felt as if the result was more important than the spectacle and Walsall continued their growing reputation as a solid unit on the road to register a third successive away clean sheet in the league for the first time since October 2015. 

In fact, Walsall boast the best defensive record (five goals conceded) away from home in the fourth-tier and are just six points shy (17) of equalling their points tally (23) from the previous campaign on their travels. 

That is made all the more remarkable considering Walsall shipped a dismal 48 goals away from home last term and kept just one clean sheet in the process. 

Home form has been Walsall's bread and butter during Mat Sadler's reign but their vast improvement on the road has transformed them into serious automatic promotion contenders. 

Sadler named an unchanged XI from the crucial 3-2 success over fellow promotion hopefuls Notts County on Tuesday evening. Jamie Jellis was absent once again due to a calf injury and will not be involved when Walsall welcome League One outfit Reading to Bescot in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening. 

The midfielder will be fighting to be available for the visit of Barrow next Saturday but Walsall demonstrated their strength in depth with George Hall filling the void seamlessly. 

Hall, who scored his first league goal for the club in midweek, showed flashes of his quality in the first 45 but grew into the contest to play a key role after the break. 

Port Vale had chances in the first period and it could've been a very different game had Rico Richards placed his curling finish a few inches the other side of the post. 

However, neither side really imposed their authority on the game in the opening 30 minutes but Walsall did begin to settle beyond the half-hour mark. 

Ryan Stirk sent a deflected finish wide of Connor Ripley's right-hand post and Taylor Allen, fresh from scoring directly from a corner in midweek, almost repeated the trick when his delivery crashed on to the top of the crossbar.

A growing trend, especially away from home, has been Walsall's ability to start the second half strongly and they did so once again when Jamille Matt delivered the decisive moment six minutes after the restart. 

Allen proved once again just how menacing his set piece deliveries can be when veteran Matt cushioned the ball down on his chest and unleashed a half volley towards goal. 

Port Vale goalkeeper Ripley got both hands to the ball but was unable to prevent his effort from looping over him and into the net. It was a moment to saviour as the players raised their game shooting towards the vocal away supporters. 

Matt extended his tally to six goals in League Two - surpassing his league total from the previous campaign and equalling the six which he scored across all competitions last term.  

No side in League Two have scored more goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half than Walsall (10) with Gillingham's tally of six standing as the second most. 

Furthermore, the Saddlers have scored the most (23) goals in the second half in the division with 68 per cent of their league total of 34 goals coming after the break.

Nathan Lowe had a great chance to extend his formidable tally of 12 after Walsall unlocked Port Vale on the press. Hall pickpocketed Ethan Chislett midway inside his own half before David Okagbue embarked on a rampaging run into enemy territory. 

Lowe peeled away from his marker to receive from the Irish defender but Ripley expertly kept him out with a smart save. 

Darren Moore responded by introducing an extra attacker as Jayden Stockley entered the frame but Walsall maintained their shape and discipline to keep Vale at bay. 

Charlie Lakin continues to underline his importance to the team with his work ethic off the ball and Vale rarely threatened an equaliser barring Liam Gordon's crucial goal line clearance. 

Beating Notts County alone felt like a statement victory but to clinch six points from six with another success over Port Vale could prove a defining week come the end of the season.

It also underlines Walsall's big game credentials and their ability to deal with pressure while simultaneously demonstrating the character of the team to bounce back from the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup. 

That result saw Walsall climb above Port Vale and move two points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. Crewe Alexandra's draw against Bradford also means they boast a six-point buffer between themselves and the trailing pack in the play-off spots.