Analysis of Cheltenham 3 Walsall 2

After pre-season defeats to Premier League neighbours Wolves and Villa in front of large crowds at the Banks's Stadium, Walsall got a reality check at Cheltenham.

A total of 839 fans – including 109 who occupied the away end – turned up at Whaddon Road last night to watch the Saddlers get largely outplayed by the home side.

Walsall's players had rubbed shoulders with the Midlands football elite and perhaps some of them felt all they had to do is turn up against a side a division below them to ease to victory.

The point was not lost on manager Dean Smith but he took the defeat in his stride, maintaining that his players will be focused and will hit top gear on the opening day of the campaign in 10 days time.

Smith said: "I think Cheltenham have had one or two more games than us against similar opposition, where we have had a couple of matches against Premier League teams which aren't what I would call 'real' football games.

"That was what I would call our first game of 'real' football and it was played at a good tempo and Cheltenham moved the ball well. They are probably a few days in front of us at the moment in terms of where we want to be.

"We are looking to peak next week and not in pre-season. My idea is that we peak on August 6 and not before because there is nothing on this game."

Walsall knocked the ball about with confidence in early stages without really testing Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown, so it came as a surprise when the home side took the lead in the 10th minute.

Cheltenham left-back Danny Andrew was put through on the overlap and got ahead of Lee Beevers to whip in a low cross into the centre of the penalty area.

On-loan Huddersfield striker James Spencer, who was making his debut for the Robins, stole a yard on the Walsall defence and got a touch from inside the six-yard box which Saddlers goalkeeper David Grof initially seemed to have saved, but somehow fumbled the ball into the net.

The Hungarian endured a shaky night coming off the bench against Villa last week and looked suspect throughout the 90 minutes against Cheltenham.

But Walsall equalised in the 19th minute with a well-taken goal by Alex Nicholls, after some intelligent build-up play in midfield involving Anton Peterlin.

The American midfielder, who was handed a one-year contract earlier in the week after impressing on trial, played an intelligent ball out to Walsall's left flank which allowed full-back Mat Sadler to deliver an early ball into the penalty area.

Sadler's cross was controlled by Nicholls, who calmly cut inside before placing the ball beyond Brown from near the penalty spot.

Peterlin continued to pull the strings in central midfield and the former Everton reserve stung the hands of Brown three minutes later with a long-range shot.

The marauding Kaid Mohamed was constant threat for Cheltenham and his jinking run in the 42nd minute created a shooting opportunity for Jeff Goulding, who saw his attempt blocked by a combination of Manny Smith and Andy Butler.

It should have served as a warning for Walsall as Mohamed helped the Robins regain the lead in first-half injury time, after he burst into the penalty area.

The winger seemed to have dwelt on the ball too long but was able to squeeze a low shot past the despairing dive of Grof and into the corner of the net.

Cheltenham had a golden chance to add a third five minutes after the break when Spencer hit the byline and crossed for Josh Low, who blazed his shot wide when well placed.

Spencer then brought a reaction save out of Grof in the 62nd minute after unleashing a piledriver from the edge of the box, which the Saddlers goalkeeper blocked with his feet.

Walsall boss Smith made a double substitution as Will Grigg and Adam Chambers were brought on to for Peterlin and Nicholls in the 68th minute, but it was Cheltenham who found the net a minute later.

Mohamed went on another purposeful run down the left and his shot was blocked and fell to Spencer who fed Low to slot home from close range.

It could have been worse for Walsall in the 74th minute when the defence backed off Low and his audacious chip from the right edge of the box beat Grof but rebounded back out off the crossbar.

Walsall hit on the counter in the 83rd minute when George Bowerman laid the ball off to Grigg, but his shot from 18 yards was comfortably saved by Brown.

Jamie Paterson pulled one back for Walsall four minutes later after teasing the Cheltenham defence on the right corner of the box before space opened up to strike a crisp low finish into the far corner past Brown.

But there was never any danger of the visitors equalising, leaving Smith with much to ponder and one more dummy run against Port Vale on Saturday to get things right.