Saddlers Head Coach Matt Taylor believes that his side were punished for not taking their chances in Tuesday nights 1-1 draw with Crawley Town at the Banks’s Stadium.
A returning Brendan Kiernan netted his fourth goal of the season with a neat finish past Town keeper Glenn Morris but Taylor saw his side pegged back just four minutes later when Tom Nichols poked the ball home from eight yards out.
Walsall went on to create one more clear cut chance in the second half when Rollin Menayese found himself unmarked six-yards out but his effort was cleared off the line by Tony Craig.
“I don’t think it was a particularly good game of football,” said Taylor.
“I don’t think either team played particularly well but having said that to score in the manner that we did was really really pleasing but to not go in at half time ahead, I was extremely disappointed that we hadn’t managed to see the half out.
“The game should be 1-0 to us. We have created one outstanding opportunity in the second half and we haven’t taken it and we have been punished for it.
“You cannot as a group and as a team concede goals in the manner that we did tonight. It’s really disappointing on the whole. The weather most definitely played a part, it wasn’t a particularly great game of football.
“I thought we tried to play but we were too slow and the players were aware of the opposition they were facing and their strengths but also the way they defend.
“I just felt like we made it too easy for them at times and we most definitely turned down at times a risky pass for a safe pass and that is obviously something for myself and for my coaches to have a look at because previously this season we have risked the ball and we have played forwards.
“By playing forward, you manage to create space to play in but we didn’t do that anywhere near enough tonight.”
Kiernan had picked up an injury in the 1-0 win over Port Vale in November and has missed the last few games but Taylor is pleased to have him back in the side, admitting he looks composed in front of goal.
“The goal was really good,” continued Taylor. “Brendan unfortunately missed a few games due to an injury that he picked up at Port Vale.
“I think Brendan now is one of the forward players in really good form. He looks composed in front of goal.
“The goal came from an area that we worked on in training and we spoke about a lot but then if you flip that, we also spoke a lot about being resolute when defending and we most definitely weren’t for the goal tonight so that’s really disappointing.
“I think it also shows that the expectations at the football club are changing and we are all disappointed, players, staff and fans alike, and we are because we watch our players play every week and we watch how we can perform because we have done that previously this season.
“The word that I use on a regular basis is consistency and we need to produce consistent performances for the entirety of a game and at the moment we can’t seem to do that.”