Walsall secured a 3-0 victory over Oldham Athletic on Tuesday night to climb into the League Two play-off places. Aaron Pressley scored twice and Taione Richard Evumena Sodje opened the scoring in a dominant first-half display at the Bescot Stadium.
The result lifts Walsall to fifth in the table with 16 points from their opening ten games, a record of three wins and seven draws. They are now six points behind leaders Salford City, who they host next Monday.
How the win unfolded
Sodje broke the deadlock after 21 minutes, finishing from close range after a cross from Jed Ward. Pressley doubled the lead just five minutes later, heading home from a Declan Skura delivery. The striker then completed his brace from the penalty spot just before the hour mark after a handball by Oldham's Favour Fawunmi.
Walsall controlled large periods of the game, enjoying 54% possession and registering 22 shots. They had to see out the final half-hour with ten men after Elicha Ahui was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 61st minute, but the Saddlers' defence held firm to secure a clean sheet.
Manager Lee Grant made several changes to his side, with Isaac Moore and Courtney Clarke coming into the starting lineup. The team's recent form shows they are now unbeaten in their last five league matches, a run of two wins and three draws that includes draws against Swindon and Fleetwood. This sequence began after a heavy defeat to Stevenage and includes a 3-2 win over Fulham U21 and a 1-1 draw with Tranmere.
Looking ahead
The focus now shifts to a top-of-the-table clash with Salford City at the Bescot Stadium on Monday night. That match offers Walsall a chance to close the gap on the league leaders.
With 13 goals scored and only seven conceded this season for a plus-six goal difference, Walsall possess the division's third-best defensive record. Their next challenge is to maintain this momentum against the team at the summit. The squad will regroup for training this week ahead of the 8pm kick-off on Monday 26 October. The team's top scorer this season is D. Kanu with 15 goals in 40 appearances.
