Darrell Clarke happy with Walsall performance but wants more

James Clarke scored his second stunner in a week to get Walsall up and running, before Elijah Adebayo doubled their lead.

Ashley Nathaniel-George pulled one back for the hosts but Wes McDonald scored his first goal in professional football to restore Walsall’s two-goal advantage.

Josh Payne scored a consolation goal for the Crawley but the Saddlers hung on for their third win in as many games.

And manager Clarke was pleased with the win, despite being left wanting more at half-time.

“Obviously pleased with the win, a great strike from Clarkey (James Clarke) to get us off the mark,” he said.

“I thought we were very sluggish first half to be honest, I had a go at them at half-time even though we scored three goals.

“I wasn’t particularly happy with the first-half performance and how we were looking.

“The pitch was very long, very heavy, it was a lethargic, weird sort of game for me.

“Score three goals, obviously very pleased with that, but I had a go at them at half-time.

“But I thought second-half we saw the game off very, very professionally, defended when we had to, it’s a pleasing win for us.”

Skipper James Clarke’s goal was a thunderbolt of a right foot from 35 yards to put Walsall ahead, only a week after his stunning overhead kick won Walsall the game against Scunthorpe.

“I’m getting worried about him (James Clarke) to be honest, I really am,” Darrell Clarke joked.

“The thing that pleases me the most is the defending in the last 10 minutes, stopping crosses coming in, that’s why I played him at right-back today.

“I thought they would have started with the boy Lubala so I played him there today to nullify him.

“He has seven, eight goals this season and looked a threat but I thought we defended superbly against him second half when he came on.

“That pleases me more than the goal to be honest.”