Walsall 2-0 Newport County: Player ratings - One 9 as Nathan Lowe shines for table topping Saddlers
George Bennett rates Walsall's players from their 2-0 win against Newport County at Bescot in League Two.
Tommy Simkin - 7
Untested - Had very little to do en route to his fifth consecutive league clean sheet and 11th in total in League Two this season.
David Okagbue - 7
Solid - Relatively solid throughout and contributed going forward with a cross for Matt's second half header and Lowe's miss just prior to his first goal.
Harry Williams - 8
Authoritative - Rarely missed a beat with another commanding performance in the heart of defence which saw him dominate in the air.
Taylor Allen - 8
Key - Collected a pair of assists for Lowe's two goals to extend his tally to 10 direct goal involvements (five goals, five assists) in all competitions.
Ryan Stirk - 7
Grew - A little loose in possession at times but improved as the contest went on. Drew a fine save from Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend with a powerful effort.
Connor Barrett - 7
Tireless - Worked tirelessly both defensively and offensively throughout and always looked to take on his man with a number of direct runs.
Jamie Jellis - 6
Struggled - Had a rare off day with a number of passes going astray as he was replaced as part of a triple Walsall change on the hour.
Charlie Lakin - 6
Replaced - Had a couple of tidy moments on the ball and worked hard out of possession as has come to be expected but was replaced in the second half.
Liam Gordon - 7
Solid - Drove Walsall forward down the left when they moved into the ascendency in the second half and kept Bobby Kamwa relatively quiet.
Nathan Lowe - 9
Brace - Had a presentable chance before the break but showcased his clinical touch in front of goal with a decisive brace to extend his tally to 16 across all competitions.
Jamille Matt - 7
OK - Helped stifle Newport's attempts at build from the back and glanced a header wide at the start of the second half.
Substitutes
Albert Adomah (for Matt, 59) - 7
Provided Walsall with an injection of energy following his introduction from the bench.
Jack Earing (for Lakin, 60) - 7
Enjoyed an impactful cameo from the bench with his cross eventually leading to Lowe's opener. Forced off with an ankle issue late on.
Oisin McEntee (for Jellis, 60) - 7
Slotted in seamlessly after coming on as one of the eights.
Donervon Daniels (for Earing, 89)
Unused: Hornby, Weir, Johnson.