Matt Taylor: Walsall showed ultimate respect in victory
Walsall boss Matt Taylor was satisfied as another clean sheet helped his side through in the FA Cup - but admitted he would have preferred a wider margin of victory.
The Saddlers progressed beyond National League strugglers King's Lynn Town with a professional display at The Walks in Norfolk, where Brendan Kiernan's 15th-minute winner was enough to seal progress to round two and make it eight games unbeaten.
The hosts came close to pegging Walsall back after the break and forcing a replay as Hayden White cleared off the line from Lynn's Junior Morias, but that was the only danger posed to the League Two visitors.
It is a third away win on the spin for the Saddlers and back-to-back shutouts after the 1-0 win at Sutton United in League Two last week.
"We showed the ultimate respect to the opposition today with the preparation we undertook for this game," Taylor said. "The challenge to the players from me was to make sure you're in the next round of the Cup and we're in the hat, in the draw, and fortunately we are.
"Would I have preferred it to have been a slightly clearer scoreline? Of course I would have, but what the players have done is continued the good run of form.
"I look at the big picture and I think that's unbeaten in eight games and two clean sheets in a row away from home in two games.
"Zeros and ones, in terms of conceding, and you've got a chance to win games and we've done that today."
Kiernan finished from close-range at the back post after a deflected White cross from the right fell his way from a quickly-taken Walsall free-kick early on.
"I'm enjoying the players playing with the freedom they do from the structure they're given," Taylor added.
"They're the ones making the decisions on the pitch. I'm pleased for Hayden, he Brendan and Tyrese (Shade) were an attacking threat today, it was difficult for George (Miller) to get into the game, but as George does he runs tirelessly and gives us a focal point.
"I'm really pleased with the performance of the team as a whole, but the strength of the XI on the pitch is the group, not everybody playing, the subs. To a man today I'm exceptionally pleased we've won the game."
King's Lynn were largely toothless in attack but when they did breach the Walsall box, crucial blocks from White, Stephen Ward and others ensured the Saddlers' clean sheet remained intact.
The head coach continued: "It shows the players are willing to put bodies on the line for each other to keep a clean sheet.
"The group has been together now for four or five months, they are continually growing, they are forming stronger bonds both professionally and personally, from my perspective it's as satisfying seeing the guys defend the goal with vigour and everything they have, so I'm extremely pleased."
