Super Saddlers produced the goods for the second succesive Saturday to record a vital 3-1 win at Carlisle to send the 133 fans into dreamland with renewed belief that the great escape is back on. The win also ensured that the team kept their unbeaten run going to four games and also ensured that Walsall climbed two places off the bottom of the table to 22nd.
Walsall started off confidently and after 7 minutes Jon Macken tried his luck from the edge of the area but his shot was blocked. Saddlers looked really up for this game and were looking to sweep forward at every occasion. At the other end Carlisle's Liam Noble got in one shot which resulted in a corner. From this Danny Livesey hit the bar with a thumping header.
It was pretty much end to end stuff for the rest of the first half but Walsall took the lead on 36 minutes. Following a a break down the left, Jon Macken fed Alex Nicholls who in turn set up Matt Gill who fired home. So Walsall went into the interval a goal up and really needed to focus and keep that narrow lead.
Walsall continued their good work after the break and on 58 minutes doubled their lead thanks to a goal from the in-form Julian Gray. Macken was again the provider and although it looked like Gray almost had too much time, he picked his moment to slot home. On 72 minutes lively Walsall had the game sewn up when Gray notched his second of the game, planting home a header from close range and the tiny band of loyal followers from the West Midlands made themselves really heard with an array of pro Walsall and Dean Smith chants.
Just when it looked liked Saddlers would claim a much coverted clean sheet, up stepped Peter Murphy to head home from a corner in the first minute of time added on. Jimmy Walker, who had made a few smart saves in the game, made one terrific save just before the final whistle and the Walsall players trooped over at the end to applaud the Walsall fans who had got behind them from the first whistle to the last. They headed off to the chant of 'We are staying up' and on the evidence of this performance it is very much game on.
