Walsall boss Darrell Clarke finds encouragement in pre-season showing

Saturday’s match was the first the Saddlers had played on their home turf in nearly six months and began brightly, with both teams netting inside the opening 15 minutes.

Josh Gordon fired the hosts ahead with his first goal of pre-season, before John Brayford levelled things up for the League One Brewers.

Yet it was the Saddlers who looked the more likely to score after that with Gordon, Caolan Lavery and Rory Holden all going close.

Clarke said: “I was pleased. I thought in the first-half we looked good. We have built on some of the relationships we showed at the back end of last season and I thought in the first half we showed that.

“We looked bright. It was a pleasing first 45 minutes. But as always there is plenty of work to do.”

Gordon opened the scoring after 10 minutes following a well-worked free-kick routine after Cameron Norman had been brought down on the right wing. Alfie Bates pulled the delivery back to the edge of the box, where an unmarked Gordon had time to take a touch before hitting a shot which flicked off a defender on its way past Ben Garratt in the Burton goal.

Yet the lead proved to be shortlived when the hosts failed to deal with a Joe Powell corner and with the ball bobbling around the box, Brayford was quickest to react and poke home from six yards out.

Gordon and Holden were proving adept and winning the ball high up the pitch though the Saddlers decision-making in the final third - and finishing - required improvement.

Holden should have restored the advantage 20 minutes in but could only fire over after arriving to meet Lavery’s cross. The latter then scooped over from the edge of the box after being played in by Gordon, who continued the trend of missing the target after creating a good opening for himself soon after.

The second half was more subdued as both teams made wholesale changes though the Saddlers came close to winning it when substitute Elijah Adebayo headed wide.

Perhaps most importantly, the match gave Clarke’s players a taste of playing in an empty Banks’s Stadium, an experience they must repeat at least three times before supporters are allowed to return in October.

“I thought there was a real good tempo about the game though it changed in the second half with the substitutions,” said Clarke.

“Everyone will tell you up and down the country we want fans back in the stadiums as quickly as we can. They are different type games but the feelings are the same. I am going to have the same feelings as a manager whether we win, draw or lose.

“It is something we have got to deal with. This was decent practice but we have had other experiences of it in pre-season. Teams are going to have to adapt to it and we will have to adapt to it.”