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The Saddlers were forced to change the
team that played against
Crewe
with Carbon replacing the suspended Ritchie, and Walker returning
from suspension to replace Petterson in goal.
This was always going to be a
tough game for the Saddlers. The pressure of not having won since
Boxing Day is beginning to build up. We were facing a
Forest
team on a bad run who had just appointed a new manager.
We fell behind early on when new
Forest signing Andy Impey converted an Andy Reid cross. You could
have been forgiven for feeling it wasn't going to be our day, but
two minutes later and we were back in the game.
Some good work by
Wales
down the right created a chance for Leitao who scored from just six
yards out as the ball deflected off Ward’s legs and in to the net.
Marlon King then had a great chance
to restore
Forest
’s lead, finding himself in acres of space on the edge of the area
but
Walker
somehow managed to deflect the striker’s powerful effort over the
bar.
We began to stamp our authority on
the game and took control with Samways pulling the strings as usual.
It didn't look good when Ian Roper picked up a groin strain on 18
minutes, and was replaced by Jamie Lawrence.
Lawrence
moved in to midfield with Emblen slotting in to the back four. We
had four defenders who hadn't played as a single unit before.
Lawrence
went on to put us 2-1 up five minutes later, tucking away the
rebound from a Gary Birch shot.
Gary Wales sent us in to half time
3-1 up with a well taken goal on 39 minutes. He had to shake off two
Forest
defenders before firing his shot in to the
Forest
goal from the edge of the area.
All the hard work of the first half
came undone in the second. It was the same old Saddlers wanting to
defend for 45 minutes.
When King made it 3-2 on 56 minutes
the writing was on the wall. He bundled Aranalde to the ground
before heading past
Walker
from six yards – much to the anger of the away players who
surrounded the referee.
Forest
were camped inside the
Walsall
half and had a series of chances to equalise. Jess and Chopra both
went close before
Taylor
's diving header levelled things up in injury time.
Walsall
almost threw the game away even after that late equaliser but Jess
headed wide when he really should have scored.
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