Walsall Head Coach Matt Taylor was pleased with the way his players professionally navigated their way into the second round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Brendan Kiernan scored the only goal of the game as the Saddlers edged past National League side King’s Lynn Town at the Walks Stadium.
Taylor expected a difficult test for his team, which proved to be the case, so he was happy his side managed to progress.
“I challenged the players before the game to make sure that we were in the hat for the next round of the cup and we’ve done that,” Taylor said.
“These games are never easy. I thought in the second half, we relinquished possession too easily and we probably over played on the pitch.
“In the first half I thought we were excellent; we were dominant and probably deserved to go in more than one goal to the good but what the players have done is won the game.
“It’s really not easy having played in these games myself and understanding how difficult it is. I remember losing whilst at Northampton away at Stourbridge and I understand how difficult they can be so I’m really pleased that the players have come here, they’ve been professional and got us into the next round of the cup.”
Kiernan netted his second of the season in the first half and it proved to be the winner.
Taylor was pleased to see the winger get back onto the scoresheet and Taylor felt the opener was a reward for Walsall’s dominance in the early exchanges.
“I thought it was the least we deserved just around the 15-minute mark,” he commented.
“I thought we were dominant up until that point but as with these games very often you’ve got to make sure you score the second or third and we didn’t but having said that, we were very resolute at the back.
“I’m pleased for Brendan to get his goal; he’s had a taste of being in the team and out of the team and it was good to see him perform and get his goal. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the strength in this team doesn’t lie in the XI, it lies in the squad.
“You can see from the team that we’ve picked that we were serious and we knew how difficult this was going to be. It’s proved to be a very tough game for us but one I’m exceptionally pleased we’ve come through.”
Attention now turns to the Papa John’s Trophy as the Saddlers welcome Forest Green Rovers to the Banks’s Stadium on Wednesday night.
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