Walsall 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday (2-4 on pens) – Player ratings

Liam Roberts - 7

The reality is, Roberts did not have much to do. His distribution was good and he marshalled the defence well, but in had few saves to make. He did, however, parry well from a Matt Penney strike in the second half. Only one mistake came when he missed a cross, but the team was not punished for it.

Cameron Norman - 9

Norman was this writer's man-of-the-match, with a brilliant display. Defensively he was solid and did not put a foot wrong against some tricky opposition. In the air he used his height effectively and at times, when he charged forward, he linked up well with Holden and Gordon.

Dan Scarr - 8

Scarr's life was made easier when Wednesday failed to name a recognised striker in the starting XI, but it also gave him a new challenge with Isaiah Brown coming short for the ball. In the air he dominated, as usual, but his positioning was also on point. Then, when Jordan Rhodes was introduced, Scarr handled him very well.

James Clarke - 7

A solid performance from the captain, alongside his defensive team-mates. In terms of pace, Clarke showcased his several times to good effect to recover the ball following long punts from the visitors. He marked slightly lower than the rest of the back four due to the occasional error on the ball, but he did not let anything slip that punished his team.

Zak Jules - 8

Playing at left-back, Jules was brilliant. He did play there at times last season and did well, but then found himself out of the side. He now looks to be having a bigger part to play this year and did not damage his chances with this performance. Intelligent on the ball, strong in the tackle and fast in recovery.

Liam Kinsella - 6

Kinsella did his best against a troublesome midfield three and was strong in the tackle, but also looked isolated at times. However, he did do well in guiding Bates, who despite his talent is still developing.

Alfie Bates - 6

An undoubted talent, Bates did not have a bad game by any means, it was instead a learning curve. He was too casual at times and delayed his pass, but was eager to recover it. He was rewarded with a full 90 minutes for his perseverance.

Josh Gordon - 7

Despite not playing in his desired striker role, Gordon did a job on the right of midfield. Tenacious as always, he was able to cause problems going forward, as well as linking with the midfield. His interchanging play with Holden, McDonald and Lavery worked well.

Wes McDonald - 7

Similar to Gordon, he did well both in recovering the ball and going forward. He had a few glimpses on the ball running at the defence, but was not able to get on the ball as much as he would have liked. Nonetheless, a solid showing.

Rory Holden - 7

Going into the League Two season, Holden could be the key to this side. Playing 4-2-3-1 suits him down to the ground and his link-up with his fellow forwards was good. It allows him to flow between the lines and although he didn't create as much as he would have wanted, he did well.

Caolan Lavery - 6

There is some suggestion that playing as a lone striker does not suit Lavery, although his work-rate did not suffer for it. It was not a poor performance, but he did not see much of the ball for large periods. He also should have done better with his glaring second half chance.

Subs:

George Nurse (For McDonald, 88) - 6

Although his Walsall debut only lasted a few minutes, Nurse actually caught the eye on one or two occasions. He looked sharp on the ball and offers the team a different option. Although he came on in left midfield, he can also operate at full-back or wing-back.

Elijah Adebayo (for Lavery, 69) - 7

Offering a different option to Lavery, the tall striker did well winning balls in the air and showed some glimpses of quality with his feet. He lead the line well as a lone forward but also looked isolated at times when Wednesday put on the pressure in the second half.

Subs not used: Rose, Sadler, Cockerill-Mollett, Willis, Nolan.