Matthew Aplin's match report...
Walsall top of the league for Christmas but can they be top of the league for new year’s day.While Walsall have played great football over the year, their next opponents are in the playoff spots and they are Peterborough United.
This included a very interesting display from both teams even the manager Sean O'Driscoll said “A terrific game I enjoyed watching it” he then explained why Walsall won the game by saying “the main plan was to stop the key players in their team.”
There was nail biting moments in the match with it being 0-0 till the 81 minute.
One of them being a penalty decision to Walsall as Milan Lalkovic on the left hand side of the box gets taken down by Miles Addison.
The other great chance for Walsall was from Sam Mantom hitting the right post and coming off in the first 5 minutes of the game.
But not only was it nerve whacking at the front of goal but also for the defence.
This included Neil Etheridge in goal with game changing saves the first coming in the 42 min for him to get his finger tips to the ball for it to go over the crossbar, he made countless saves but not only that the defence was sharp.
From losing Paul Downing in the 13 minute Walsall main defence partnership with Downing and James O'Connor was gone, but Matt Preston came in and took the responsibility of facing a striker that has played well in the last 11 matches for Peterborough and scoring 11 goals known as Washington.
But even though they had a danger in their striker Walsall kept the clean sheet manly to the man of the match James O'Connor.
He saved Walsall so many times but most importantly when he blocked it in the 70 to 71 minute as Etheridge came out but rebounded to a Peterborough player for an easy goal as the net was open but O'Connor saved Walsall by blocking the ball.
This also includes the goals that Walsall scored the first coming from Jason Demetriou while Forde only just coming on setting up for Jason with his shot deflecting off Addison.
Walsall looking more comfortable in the game at this stage.
The second goal came from Evans from a Morris pass towards him and Evans finishing it nicely into the bottom left corner.
With this Walsall are top of the league and also with the best goal difference as well, and this is turning out to be an amazing 2015 for all Saddlers fans let’s just hope that they can keep this form up.