Mat Sadler "disappointed" with two key decisions after Walsall's EFL Trophy exit at Peterborough

Gustav Lindgren opened the scoring inside the first seven minutes before Malik Mothersille doubled their advantage from the spot, after David Okagbue was adjudged to have fouled Emmanuel Fernandez inside the box. 

Sadler was "disappointed" with the penalty decision and also thought Lindren's second should've been disallowed for offside, as Peterborough restored their two-goal cushion less than 90 seconds after Danny Johnson halved the deficit for Walsall. 

He said: "Disappointed with a couple of the goals. I don't think it was a penalty and I thought it was offside for the third goal. Sometimes you fall foul of that and it's disappointing because you want to get those decisions right.

"The supporters were sat right in front of those two decisions. That didn't help us in the slightest but we kept going and that's who we are."

Donervon Daniels was forced off midway into the first period with a calf problem and Sadler anticipates a spell on the side lines for the Walsall skipper. 

"The one disappointment is Donervon. Gutted for him, we'll have to see what that looks like but he said he felt his calf so we'll have to see what that is like in the next two or three days. he revealed.

"He'll be out for a little bit of a spell now which is a real gutter for him and for us but hopefully it's not too bad," 

Johnson missed two glorious chances either side of the interval before Rico Browne crashed a thumping header against the post. 

Walsall flew out of the traps in the second half with Albert Adomah sending a deflected finish agonisingly wide and Lakin stinging the palms of Peterborough goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic with a ferocious effort from distance. 

Mothersille sealed the deal with Peterborough's fourth with 14 minutes left but Bilokapic was busy between the sticks to deny both Lakin and Josh Gordon twice more in the closing stages. 

Josh Gordon, on his return from a hamstring injury after a four-month absence, grabbed a late consolation when Bilokapic's attempted clearance cannoned off his back and looped into the net in the final seconds.

And Sadler was buoyed by the performance despite falling to defeat.

"There are ways of losing football matches, I'll be associated with that defeat every day of the week because that was us, that's who we are," he concluded.

"Obviously we made (eight) changes from the weekend but we want that. Everyone is going to play a part for us this season and everyone has got to be ready for when their moment comes. 

"There was a period at the start of the second half where you were just willing us to take one of those chances but we came up against a goalkeeper in inspired form today."