Mat Sadler up for the fight as Walsall earn overdue win

Mat Sadler vowed Walsall have what it takes to fight for promotion after they beat Tranmere 3-1 to get back to winning ways.

Goals from Priestley Farquharson, Daniel Kanu and Jamille Matt saw the Saddlers end a run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

Sadler, after taking charge of his 150th game as manager, said: “I thought that was a really solid League Two win. What we did today was all of the basics really well.

“The first half-hour until the goal I thought it was a hard game and a tough game on a tricky pitch. But we played in the right areas and we were a threat when it came to the basics in their half and we were clinical when we needed to be.

“We knew the type of game it was going to be and it was a real fight and battle at times and I think we just had that extra bit of quality.

“We make no bones about it, when you come up against this Walsall team you’re going to have to defend crosses and long throws – but then we can show our quality like we did for the second goal.

“We want to keep winning games in different ways and today was the epitome of that.

“It’s a tough season and there’s certainly no complacency at all, but we’ve put together a group of players who can compete and fight in League Two which is what we are here to do.”

The visitors went close early on, Matt heading straight at Jack Barrett from Farquharson’s long throw.

But they made the breakthrough in the 37th minute when Farquharson rose highest to head home Evan Weir’s corner from close range.

Walsall doubled their lead just before half-time as Kanu pounced on a defensive error, rounded Barrett and steered the ball into an empty net.

Hopes of a Tranmere comeback were dashed in the 65th minute when Matt nodded home Aden Flint’s pinpoint cross, with substitute Joe Ironside grabbing a consolation goal for the hosts in the final minute.

Tranmere boss Andy Crosby, whose team have now lost three home games on the spin and only won three in the league all season at Prenton Park, said: “We find it really difficult at the moment playing at home.

“A lot has been said this week about the confidence of the players and the collective responsibility in the team, but the responsibility starts and ends with me.

“That’s my team and I pick that team, but we’re finding it really challenging playing at home at this moment in time.

“The first 35 minutes of the game nothing really happened and it was a typical League Two game with not a lot of quality but then we go behind and then concede again just before half-time.

“I said to the players at half-time ‘let’s go out there and stick together and a moment can change the game and the atmosphere’, but we didn’t do that and we found ourselves 3-0 down.

“But that’s my responsibility and I’m not going to shirk away from that. There are obviously a lot of things affecting our numbers, but it’s my responsibility and I have to change the narrative at home.”