Express & Star

Mat Sadler only looking at Walsall response and another run after Stockport defeat

Mat Sadler insists Walsall's focus will immediately switch to "putting things right" after they lost 3-1 at league leaders Stockport County at Edgeley Park.

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Mat Sadler

The game exploded into life just before the break when Douglas James-Taylor's bullet header cancelled out Akil Wright's powerful low drive moments earlier.

Walsall started the second half positively, but fell behind when Isaac Olaofe headed into an empty net after Callum Camps' free-kick crashed off the crossbar.

Paddy Madden then marked his appearance from the bench with a third from the spot after Liam Gordon hauled down Connor Lemonheigh-Evans inside the box.

Whilst Sadler was disappointed by the defeat, the Walsall boss wanted to look at the bigger picture after the game.

"We were desperate to win today and we wanted to really lay a marker down for ourselves, but it didn't happen," Sadler said.

"Sometimes games go that way and we want to turn that back now, and go on another run. That will be the focus for us.

"Not getting too caught up with the defeat, I certainly won't be doing that."

"We'll lose games. That's 100 per cent certain. What's important is what we see during those games and then how we respond when we do lose games.

"I see we're a very good football team, and I liked a lot of what I saw from Isaac (Hutchinson), Jack (Earing) and Knowlsey (Tom Knowles), but we fell the other side of the result though.

"I know that the group in there are naturally disappointed but the focus they will quickly turn to is, how do we put that right?"