Dean Keates: Walsall could've made things easier in win

Goals from Morgan Ferrier, Josh Ginnelly and Zeli Ismail saw the Saddlers run out 3-1 winners at Prenton Park last night.

Aside from the Checkatrade Trophy, the result was Walsall’s first win in a cup competition since January 2016.

And with Andy Cook and Jack Fiztwater also going close - and Ferrier and Ginnelly having other chances - the boss felt his team should have made the win more convincing.

“I think we could have made things a bit easier,” Keates said.

“We had a lot of chances and didn't really kill them off.

“I thought in the second half we broke well, we broke at pace. We scored a good couple of goals.

“But we would have liked to have made it more easier for ourselves.”

Ferrier and Ginnelly have both impressed in Walsall’s three games so far this season after joining the club in the summer.

And Keates was pleased to see them net their first goals for the club.

“They have shown us what they are about in the first few games of the season,” the boss continued.

“They are eager and they want to progress and they are at a club where they are going to progress. We are all going to go forward.

“It's still early days, we are happy with the performance at Tranmere and we'll get ready for Saturday now.”

Keates gave goalkeeper Chris Dunn, full-back Kane Wilson and midfielder Liam Kinsella the chance to impress at Prenton Park.

And all three seized their opportunity much to the delight of their manager.

“I said in the dressing room, the three lads that came in were absolutely outstanding,” Keates added.

“The subs that came on contributed as well.

“It's good. It's a squad game and a group of 11 players isn't going to get us through the season.

“Whenever they get a chance to put the shirt on, whether it's a Saturday or a Tuesday, all they can do is the best for themselves and the best for the team.

“If they do that it gives me some decisions to make.”