Walsall talking points: Clean sheet streak continues as Grant tweaks and team handles pressure | OneFootball

Lee Grant’s first home game as Walsall head coach ended in a 0-0 draw with Grimsby Town at Bescot, sealing a third straight clean sheet and underlining a growing resilience.

ExpressAndStar.com notes that Grant rewarded Isaac Moore and Courtney Clarke with starts after their opening-weekend win at Gillingham, where both impressed from the bench.

Moore replaced Charlie Crew to partner Sven Sprangler in a double pivot, while Clarke was preferred to Reece Smith on the left. Moore drove Walsall forward and Clarke threatened, creating a chance in each half.

Jed Ward was quieter than in the previous two matches, yet produced a fine late stop to repel Jayden Sweeney. In front of him, Declan Skura and James Connolly continued to gel, with Sprangler’s protection key to another shutout.

Simper, quieter at Gillingham, offered a clearer threat here, combining neatly with Elicha Ahui and testing Grimsby with his set-piece delivery.

Grant’s side have started with two wins and a draw, and they again rode difficult spells without abandoning their approach. Although the head coach felt they needed to attack the game more before the interval, Walsall resisted route-one and looked to build through pressure.

Reece Smith’s introduction midway through the second half was delayed when the fourth official appeared to rule Andrew Dallas exceeded 10 seconds to leave the pitch. Smith waited 60 seconds before entering.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”