Walsall 1 Colchester 0 - Report

Some positive attacking play, especially in the first 20 minutes, hadn’t been matched by the quality of the finishing until Hutchinson strode forward and smashed the ball into the top corner in the 65th minute.

With a solitary goal advantage there were some nervy moments in the closing stages, keeper Owen Evans making two superb saves to deny Colchester captain Connor Hall.

But the Saddlers hung on to maintain their unbeaten home league record with a first clean sheet of the season on an afternoon when Priestley Farquharson and David Okagbue – from the bench - made their competitive debuts.

ANALYSIS

Boss Mat Sadler sprung something of a surprise in his team selection, with Danny Johnson dropping to the bench and Jamille Matt coming in for his first start of the season.

With Chris Hussey suspended, there was welcome news with a Walsall debut for summer signing Farquharson, Taylor Allen also coming in to the starting eleven with Ross Tierney dropping to the bench.

The Saddlers tried to get on the front foot from the off with Hutchinson and Allen advancing with the ball and trying to create something only for the Colchester defence to stand firm.

Visiting keeper Owen Goodman looked suspiciously outside the area in claiming another through pass but both referee Lee Swabey and his assistant were unmoved.

Hutchinson then found Liam Gordon on the left but his cross was too deep and brushed the roof of the net with Goodman watching it to safety.

Just after the ten minute mark came the first sniff of an opening as Allen’s raking crossfield pass was met by a decent header from Matt which Goodman palmed away.

Tom Knowles had also made a positive start to the game and burst into the box before going down under a challenge from a Colchester defender, which was also waved away.

It was all Walsall at this stage and Gordon made a superb run into the area from the left, pulling the ball back for Freddie Draper whose first time effort was blocked at source.

Hutchinson then popped up on the left and took a step inside before letting fly with a powerful effort which Goodman was able to watch flash past his upright.

Midway through the half Draper went so close to providing a spectacular opener for the Saddlers.

Oisin McEntee headed a cross back into the danger area and Draper controlled it before executing a superb overhead kick which was so close to finding the target.

Aside from one early cross across the Walsall box, Colchester had barely threatened and when they were awarded a free kick in a dangerous area, Owen Evans did well to claim Noah Chilvers’ deep centre.

Hutchinson had been finding Gordon at regular intervals during the first half and another link-up and cross forced Arthur Read into a hurried clearance after which the Colchester defence did well to clear as McEntee headed the corner across the six yard box.

Chilvers responded with the U’s first effort on target which Evans gathered comfortably, and Goodman then did the same at the other end from Knowles’ deflected shot.

Colchester then enjoyed a rare attack with an excellently worked breakaway which ended with Evans having to beat away Read’s dangerously whipped centre.

Debutant Farquharson became the first name into the referee’s notebook after kicking the ball away after being adjudged to have fouled Samson Tovide.

Early into the second half Draper did well to dispossess William Greenidge down the left but his attempted pass for Hutchinson was comfortably cut out.

But Walsall looked shaky for the first time in defence shortly afterwards as Tovide got into a good position only for his deflected effort to come to nothing.

The Saddlers responded immediately with an increased attacking threat, Hutchinson latching on to Farquharson’s superb ball in behind before dragging his shot from an acute angle across goal.

Matt collected the loose ball and laid it off, immediately heading back into the box to almost get on the end of Gordon’s subsequent delivery.

The home crowd began to get more involved as Walsall started to create some momentum and Colchester’s Joe Taylor went into the book for a foul on Allen.

From the resulting free kick, for a split second the Saddlers thought they were ahead, only for Daniels to be flagged offside after heading home the Knowles set piece.

Minutes later, from a carbon copy free kick very close to the previous one, Daniels just couldn’t get his head on the superb Knowles delivery.

Gordon made a great break before his cross was blocked but as Walsall kept up the momentum, the home side finally converted their promise into a goal – and it was an absolute corker at that.

Hutchinson was given the ball some 25 yards out and took a touch before letting fly with a superb rising drive which Goodman got a hand to, but was never going to keep out.

It was a brilliant strike and a crucial breakthrough, after which Sadler opted for his first change, Matt receiving a rousing reception after putting a real shift in up front before being replaced by Douglas James-Taylor.

The visitors were now taking a few more chances with the ned to find a goal, and Read’s free kick from just outside the box wasn’t too far away.

The thought that Walsall could be in for a nervy final 15 minutes wasn’t helped by Evans then getting booked for time wasting before taking the resulting goal kick.

And it took an incredible save from Evans on 78 minutes to keep the Saddlers in front.

Colchester skipper Hall connected with a dangerous free kick and Evans needed all his instincts to get a hand to it, Daniels then completing the clearance from just in front of the goal-line.

What Walsall would give for a second goal, and a fine breakaway involving Gordon, James-Taylor and Hutchinson saw the latter’s cross fly across goal and to safety as Gordon continued his run.

As the game drifted into the third of five minutes added on, James-Taylor warmed Goodman’s hands with a powerful shot from distance.

There was still time for a crucial Allen block to deny Tovide and another fantastic Evans save to tip Hall’s header over the crossbar.

But the full time whistle was joyously received by the Saddlers fans after a game in which Hutchinson’s super strike was enough to secure a deserved three points.

TEAMS

Walsall (3-5-2): Evans; Farquharson (Okagbue 85), Daniels, Allen; Knowles (Riley 71), Hutchinson, Stirk, McEntee, Gordon; Matt (James-Taylor 67), Draper.

Subs not used: J. Smith, Oteh, Tierney, Johnson.

Colchester (4-4-2): Goodman; Greenidge (Bandeira 72), Kelleher, Hall, Egbo; Newby (Jay 35), Read, Chilvers, Fevrier (Kazeem 72); Taylor (Ihionvien 60), Tovide.

Subs not used: T. Smith, Mitchell, Thomas.