Walsall 0 Carlisle 2 - Report

There were only six points between the two sides at the start of the day but the gap looked wider in the first half when the powerful visitors dominated and took a deserved lead through Omari Patrick.

Walsall, missing the influence of the injured Rory Holden, managed to weather the onslaught for long enough to stay in the game and improved after the break, albeit without converting possession into clear-cut chances.

Carlisle continued to carry a threat going forward and added a second goal through Josh Kayode 12 minutes from time.

Walsall boss Darrell Clarke made four changes for the final fixture of the festive schedule to the team which had lost at Scunthorpe in midweek.

There was a return for goalkeeper Liam Roberts, joining player-coach Mat Sadler Alfie Bates and Stuart Sinclair in the starting line-up.

Jack Rose, George Nurse, Danny Guthrie and Jake Scrimshaw were the quartet dropping to the bench.

Carlisle’s team included defender Rod McDonald, whose dad – also Rod – and brother Clayton, also both played for Walsall.

The visitors had an early sighter with a long range shot from Taylor Charters which Roberts was able to watch drift wide before Elijah Adebayo got down the right for Walsall to deliver a cross which was taken by Paul Farman in the Carlisle goal.

Carlisle skipper Aaron Hayden then led loud appeals for a penalty which were ignored by referee James Oldham and minutes later had a shot blocked as the Cumbrians put on some early pressure.

A loose pass from Bates was then intercepted allowing Charters another shot on goal which he blasted over the bar.

Carlisle were using all of their power and physical presence to carry all the early momentum, including a big threat – literally – from long throws, but Walsall were standing firm.

It was on 25 minutes that Walsall enjoyed their first major foray into the Carlisle area.

Josh Gordon, who had been operating across different forward positions, went down in the area with nothing given but Liam Kinsella latched onto the loose ball only for his shot to take a deflection which was collected by Farman.

Straight after that first Walsall opening Carlisle went in front.

This time it was all about a well-worked move on the floor, finishing with Charters finding Patrick in space who was able to pick his spot and fire into the top corner.

Carlisle continued to pose a threat but Walsall did at least manage to start moving the ball around, Wes McDonald cutting inside to hit a powerful shot which Farman watched drift wide of the post.

But the visitors were then straight back on the attack, Jack Armer’s shot deflected over by a fine Cameron Norman challenge and Roberts parrying from Josh Kayode who had got in behind.

There were rays of light approaching half time with some better Walsall passing and a couple of corners but Carlisle dealt with them effectively to take a deserved lead into the break.

Walsall made a positive start to the second half with a couple of decent spells of possession but the first shot came from Carlisle, well over from Callum Guy.

McDonald had been starting to come into it more for the Saddlers and wriggled his way into the box past several challenges before a low drive which Farman saved.

At the other end Joe Riley found space down the inside right but his effort across goal was wide of the target.

Walsall made a triple change on the hour mark with Nurse, Guthrie and Scrimshaw on for Sadler, Bates and Sinclair, as boss Clarke called for ‘energy’ with the game moving into its final half an hour.

Scrimshaw almost got in immediately only to see the defender nick the ball away before Gordon dragged his shot wide shortly afterwards.

Dan Scarr then hit a superb crossfield ball which Adebayo couldn’t quite take in his stride as Walsall started to carry more of a threat, although it then needed an incredible clearance from Scarr to keep the Saddlers in it.

Roberts was unable to take a long ball forward and Charters fired powerfully towards goal but Scarr was perfectly placed to make the block just in front of the goal-line.

Carlisle however weren’t to be denied a second goal 12 minutes from time which pretty much sealed the points, Kayode tucking home after a cross from Riley.

Credit to Walsall they didn’t let their heads drop and kept pushing for a route back into the game but that left some gaps at the back from which Carlisle broke and Charters sliced wide from a narrow angle.

Lewis Alessandra also shot over in the closing stages and a late Gordon backheel was deflected wide but that was the last of the goalmouth action as the Cumbrians chalked up a deserved victory to go top of the League Two table.

After four successive wins had propelled Walsall to the brink of the top seven, this was a third successive defeat to take the wind out of their sails, albeit against a team setting the standard for what is probably required for automatic promotion.

A fortnight’s break from fixtures will at least allow the Saddlers to refresh and regroup before returning to action in the hope of putting together a string of results to try and force their way back into the play-off picture.

Teams

Walsall: Rose, Norman (Osadebe 81), Scarr, Clarke, Sadler (Nurse 60), Bates (Scrimshaw 60), Gordon, Kinsella, Sinclair (Guthrie 60), W. McDonald, Adebayo.

Subs not used: Rose, Lavery, White.

Carlisle: Farman, Hayden, R. McDonald, Bennett, Armer, Riley, Guy (Furman 75), Charters (Bell 89), Kayode, Alessandra, Patrick (Dickenson 82).

Subs not used: Norman, Dixon, Malley, Fishburn,