Winger scored in cup success...
Walsall were not at their best despite beating Fleetwood 2-0 – but Anthony Forde believes winning games without playing well is a positive sign.The Irish winger scored his second goal of the season in the Fleetwood success, curling home a delightful right-footed shot in added time.
Forde’s strike, along with George Evans’ first-half opener, sealed our place in the FA Cup second round and an away tie at League One rivals Chesterfield.
And although Walsall were unable to hit the heights of recent weeks, Forde was pleased to grind out a positive result.
“It’s vital that we win in the cup competitions,” said Forde.
“We didn’t play as well as usual but it’s a sign of a good team when you’re winning games when you're not playing as well.
"I was delighted to get a goal but the main thing was the win.
“Fleetwood were good, they worked very hard and had a few goal chances towards the end and we were a bit lucky not to concede. But overall we probably edged it.
“We keep winning games and we need to keep that going, whether we play well or not.”
Walsall have a two-week break from competitive action after our match at Shrewsbury, originally scheduled for this weekend, was postponed due to internationals.
And Forde believes the players should benefit from the extra recovery time.
“A few of the boys are tired and the break will probably give us a boost,” he said.
“It will help us get ready for the next league game and give us fresh legs which is what we need because we’ve had a lot of games.
"The break will definitely help us.