Walsall 1 Stevenage 0 – Player ratings
Joe Edwards rates the players after Walsall's first win under Matt Taylor, beating Stevenage 1-0.
CARL RUSHWORTH
Did not have to make any outrageous saves but relieved the pressure with some confident claims. A first league clean sheet for the Brighton loanee.
Confident: 7
HAYDEN WHITE
Helped Walsall get up the pitch in the first half as he was not afraid to drive with the ball. Defended solidly.
Solid: 7
ROLLIN MENAYESE
Making his third start in succession, Menayese looks a bit better with each game that passes. Showed a nice turn of pace and mopped things up well.
Mopped up: 7
MANNY MONTHE
Coming in for Ash Taylor, Monthe was happy to clear his lines when needed. One of those clearances was pounced upon by Wilkinson for the winner. Did not shy away from any challenges.
Strong: 7
STEPHEN WARD
Did the basics well and used his experience to help the Saddlers see things through. Still in tip-top shape.
Clever: 7
JOSS LABADIE
Great to see the skipper back from a quad problem. He pressed vigorously and used his nous to break up play throughout in the middle of the park.
Relentless: 7
LIAM KINSELLA
With Labadie back in the fold, Kinsella also showed great desire – making tackles and drawing fouls. You will struggle to find a busier midfield duo.
Desire: 7
CONOR WILKINSON
Walsall’s match-winner, Wilkinson displayed both persistence and precision to fire home. Opened his Walsall account and looked threatening whenever he got the ball. Also worked tremendously hard when out of possession. Classy outing.
Star man: 8
JACK EARING
With Wilkinson playing on the right, Earing had his moments as the advanced playmaker. Curled a shot narrowly over the bar and covered lots of ground.
Bright: 7
BRENDAN KIERNAN
Harried his full-back throughout without having quite as much influence on the ball. His effort could not be faulted.
Worked hard: 6
KIERAN PHILLIPS
Another who put in a lot of hard work but did not have a huge say in proceedings. Replaced by Osadebe later on.
Runner: 6
SUBS
Emmanuel Osadebe (for Phillips, 78) N/A
Ash Taylor (for Earing, 87) N/A
Subs not used: Rose (gk), Mills, Bates, Perry, Willis
