A busy opening month for The Saddlers...
THE 2014/15 season got underway with a local derby at Port Vale.With a number of new faces in the side, The Saddlers fell a goal behind on 25 minutes when Tom Pope found the net.
In what was a keenly-contested clash, we managed to get back on level terms just before the hour-mark with a debut goal from the lively Tom Bradshaw.
There were chances at either end in the closing stages but the game ended with honours even.
We faced a long journey down to Southend United in the first round of the Capital One Cup.
Our League Two hosts proved to be tricky opposition on the night, but we managed to get our noses in front with a well-worked team goal that was finished off by Mal Benning, who was playing in a more advanced role on the left.
The Shrimpers drew level with a piledriver free-kick with just over 20 minutes to go and it looked as though the tie was heading for extra-time until Kieron Morris came off the bench and notched his first senior goal to send us through.
Our first home game of the campaign brough Bradford City to Banks's Stadium.
In what was another tough test for us against robust and physical opposition, neither side could find the breakthrough as the match ended in a goalless draw.
Three days later we were back in home action for the visit of newly-relegated Yeovil Town.
It was the visitors who took the lead early in the second half before our pressure finally told with an equaliser on 72 minutes from Tom Bradshaw.
Our joy was short-lived as within seconds, The Glovers regained the lead and that is how the scoreline stayed as we suffered our first defeat of the season.
A trip to the Capital to face Leyton Orient was to follow and against a side who had invested heavily during the summer, we looked the more likely side, despite being without key players through injury.
The best chance of the game fell to Anthony Forde who seized upon a poor clearance from the 'keeper but couldn't turn the ball home from close range. In the end we had to settle for our second stalemate of the campaign, but nevertheless a useful point against a side expected to be up there challenging near the top of the table.
We were back in Capital One Cup action with a second round tie at home to Premier League, Crystal Palace.
The Eagles were still without a manager following the eve of season departure of Tony Pulis, but did a professional job to go through courtesy of a first half hat-trick from Dwight Gayle.
The month ended in disappointing fashion with a 2-1 set-back at Scunthorpe United in a game where conceded two goals in quick succession early in the second period.
With Mathieu Manset making his debut following his arrival shortly after the final whistle of our previous game, it took us until 20 minutes from the end to get into our stride and although Bradshaw was able to pull a goal back with an opportunist effort, it was too little, too late.