Mat Sadler: Walsall were slightly off

Callum Hendry scored the only goal of the game when he ghosted in at the back post to convert Liam Kelly's low cross from point-blank range on 18 minutes.

Jack Earing came close to an immediate response but his stabbed finish from close-range was thwarted by Tom McGill's outstretched right arm.

"I didn't think we looked ourselves at all today, which is frustrating," Sadler remarked. "Teams are sometimes down to dynamics and we didn't quite adapt to not having Liam (Gordon) on the pitch on this left hand side.

"You know you're going to have to do that when the moments come. In this stadium, you want to run their wing-backs back the other way and I don't think we quite did that enough on both sides.

"Especially in that first 45 minutes, it just felt a little bit tentative in our play which is unusual for us. I don't know, maybe there was a hangover from being here three or four months ago.

"We wanted to change that and we wanted to make sure that we put a proper performance in today which in the second half we gave it a go. We were on the front foot and we wanted a reaction.

"I don't think we were anywhere near the levels that we've set ourselves in the first half and that's why you come away from it feeling frustrated because I feel like we're a good team.

"We're going to have more positives throughout the season and when you miss an opportunity, it just hurts a little bit more."

Evan Weir flattered to deceive on his maiden league appearance for Walsall while Birmingham loanee George Hall had a tough afternoon on his debut.

Both made way for Charlie Lakin and Reyes Cleary at the break and Sadler added further attacking reinforcements with the additions of Albert Adomah, Jamille Matt and Danny Johnson.

However, a leveller never came and Sadler admitted they didn't do enough in attack to salvage something from the game.

"Even then, I felt like we didn't really do what we do. Get the ball wide, move the ball from one side to the other and get the ball into good areas to cross it. We didn't do that anywhere near enough.

"As I say, it wasn't what we've come to expect from each other today. That's probably what hurts the most but I can only be proud of the effort that they continue to give to try and do the right things.

"We just didn't quite do that today."