Walsall 5 Tranmere 1: Saddlers cruise to club record-breaking eighth league win on the spin

Matt opened the scoring with a clinical header in the 14th minute before Ryan Stirk doubled their lead with a low drive from distance, as Taylor Allen collected assists for both. 

Tranmere were reduced to 10-men when Sam Finley was shown a second yellow card but Connor Jennings halved the deficit for the visitors on the cusp of half-time. 

Matt restored Walsall's two-goal cushion four minutes after the break before Jamie Jellis added a fourth 18 minutes from time. 

Nathan Lowe put the seal on a comfortable win with 10 minutes left to extend his season tally to 18 goals in all competitions. 

That win, which also increased their unbeaten run to 15 in the league, propelled Walsall into a 13-point lead at the League Two summit.

Mat Sadler, fresh from penning a new deal until 2028 earlier this week, made three changes from the 2-1 comeback win at Notts County on New Year's Day. 

That victory equalled a club record seven-match winning streak in the league, as Sadler recalled Allen and Matt, with both Evan Weir and Albert Adomah dropping to the bench. 

The biggest call was to hand Oisin McEntee his first league start since August following his excellent second half display at Meadow Lane.

Prior to kick-off, Walsall boasted a league high 29 points on home soil while Tranmere had picked up the fewest away points in the division, mustering a mere eight on their travels. 

The Bescot surface survived the freezing temperatures to serve up some lunch-time entertainment and Walsall made a promising start with Liam Gordon and Connor Barrett firing off target early on.

Kristian Dennis saw his close-range finish deflect over but Walsall were very much in the ascendency and made that dominance count when Matt delivered the breakthrough with 14 minutes gone. 

Jellis had come close just moments before when his low volley was smartly saved by Luke McGee at his near post. But Walsall kept the attack alive and Matt towered above his marker to cushion Allen's cross into the far corner with a clinical header. 

Stirk doubled Walsall's advantage with his first goal of the season seven minutes later. Allen worked his free-kick short and Stirk drove a powerful low effort into the far bottom corner from distance to leave McGee rooted to the spot. 

Tranmere were clearly rattled as referee Jeremy Simpson filled his book with three yellow cards in quick succession. Things then went from bad to worse for the visitors when Finley was shown a second yellow card for handling the ball after conceding possession to Jellis. 

Walsall went in search of a third before the break with Nathan Lowe's effort trickling wide and McEntee nodding into the side netting from an acute angle. 

But 10-man Tranmere hauled themselves back into the contest completely against the run of play when Connor Jennings' low shot beat Tommy Simkin to halve the deficit on the cusp of half-time. 

Walsall made the best possible start to the second period when Matt doubled his tally just four minutes after the restart. 

Gordon danced down the left and turned former Saddlers defender Cameron Norman inside out after running on to a floated pass from Allen. McEntee was unable to get enough purchase on his header from Gordon's scooped cross but Matt was quick to pounce on the loose ball and tuck his finish past McGee. 

Walsall enjoyed large spells of possession to strengthen their grip on proceedings although Harvey Saunders did slip behind the Saddlers defence to drive a low effort wide. 

Nigel Adkins shuffled his pack with a trio of attacking changes but it was Walsall who always looked likeliest to add to their score line. And the fourth eventually arrived when Jellis raced onto Lowe's through ball, checked on to his left foot and fired beyond McGee at his near post with 18 minutes remaining. 

Lowe completed the scoring with his 15th league goal of the season in the 80th-minute. Substitute Albert Adomah broke free down the right and squared for Lowe who made no mistake with the finish from inside the six-yard box. 

Next, Walsall travel to London Road to face League One side Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy round of 16 on Tuesday night. 

Teams 

Walsall (3-1-4-2): Simkin; Okagbue, Williams (Daniels 85), Allen; Stirk (Comley 85); Barrett, Jellis, McEntee (Lakin 68), Gordon; Lowe (Johnson 85), Matt (Adomah 75).

Unused: Hornby, Weir.

Tranmere (3-4-3): McGee; O’Connor (Khan 69), Davies, Turnbull; Norman, Finley (Sent Off - 38), Morris (Solomon 86), Bradshaw (Wood 86); Jennings, Saunders (Davison 69), Dennis (Patrick 69).

Unused: Murphy, Drysdale.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Attendance: 5,614 (336)