Port Vale 0-1 Walsall: Player ratings
George Bennett gives his player ratings after Walsall propelled themselves to the top of League Two with a 1-0 win at local rivals Port Vale.
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Tommy Simkin - 7
Adapted - Dealt excellently with the windy conditions to keep his third successive away clean sheet and seventh in total in League Two.
David Okagbue - 8
Solid - Defensively solid throughout and offered a threat going forward to set-up a great chance for Nathan Lowe shortly after Walsall's opener.
Harry Williams - 7
Commanding - A commanding force in the heart of defence and rarely misjudged the flight of the ball despite the windy conditions.
Taylor Allen - 8
Key - Crashed his corner against the crossbar in the first period before setting up Jamille Matt's winner from another corner after the break.
Ryan Stirk - 7
Composed - Provided Walsall with much needed composure in the heart of the midfield and battled relentlessly off the ball amid a scrappy affair.
Connor Barrett - 7
Tireless - Tracked back constantly and created a presentable opportunity for Stirk with a low cutback in the first half.
George Hall - 7
Grew - Showed flashes of his quality in the first half but grew into the contest to play a key role after the interval with his interception leading to Lowe's chance.
Charlie Lakin - 8
Instrumental - An unsung hero in Walsall's early season success. Produced another tireless performance off the ball to play an instrumental role in the press and looked tidy in possession.
Liam Gordon - 7
Relentless - Worked relentlessly down the left and produced a crucial goal line clearance in the final 10 minutes to help Walsall get over the line.
Nathan Lowe - 7
Strong - Looked strong from the front and came close to extending his season tally of 12 when he was expertly denied by Connor Ripley.
Jamille Matt - 8
Winner - Played well with his back to goal and capped a strong performance with the winner and his sixth league goal of the campaign.
Substitutes
Albert Adomah - 7 (Matt, 79)
Energetic - A bundle of energy down the flank following his introduction during the closing stages.
Unused subs: Hornby, McEntee, Daniels, Weir, Earing, Johnson.
