Chambers delighted with Walsall comeback...
SADDLERS skipper, Adam Chambers, hailed his side’s second-half comeback after they beat Brighton 2-1 to set up a Capital One Cup third round tie against holders, Chelsea.Jake Forster-Caskey’s contentious first-half penalty put Brighton ahead, but second-half strikes from Man-of-the-Match, Milan Lalkovic, and Rico Henry – his first career goal – secured a thrilling win.
The Saddlers are in the League Cup third round for the first time since 2002, after claiming the Championship scalps of Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
Our reward is a dream draw against Jose Mourinho’s star-studded Chelsea side – the current English league champions – who will visit the Banks’s Stadium on Wednesday, 23rd September.
Speaking after the Brighton match, Chambers expressed his delight with both the result, and the team’s positive response to going behind for the first time this season.
“It was probably our toughest test so far,” admitted Chambers. “Brighton are a good side, they came here high on confidence and still unbeaten this season. The first half was very cagey. They sat back and we found it difficult to break them down.
“We felt a little hard done by with the first penalty. I haven’t seen it back so it’s hard to comment on it, but the referee gave the decision and you’ve just got to get on with it.
“We didn’t move the ball as quickly as we wanted to in the first half; we played too much in front of them. We spoke about that at half-time, and in the second half we moved it quicker, had a lot more tempo to our play and created a lot of chances.”
Chambers also praised the impact of the Saddlers’ three second-half substitutes.
“The lads who came on – Jordan Cook, Romaine Sawyers and Matt Preston – were excellent,” said Chambers. “One of the most pleasing things so far this season is that whoever has come on off the bench has had an impact and that’s what we need going forward.
“It’s a long season, and if you’re going to do well in the cups, you need everyone pulling in the same direction and ready to play when the chance comes. We’ve had that, and that’s testament to how the lads train and look after themselves.”
The Saddlers return to league action this weekend with a trip to rock-bottom Blackpool, knowing that a positive result could see them go top of the division.
“We want to go there and perform, and if we can do that, we’re confident we can get a result,” said Chambers.
“It’s early in the season and being top in August doesn’t mean a thing. It’s a long season and we’ve had a good start – but that’s all it is. We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground and make sure we don’t get carried away.
“We’ll go there looking to put in a professional performance, and get the levels back to where they have been in recent games.”