George Bennett on Walsall's win over Newport County

George Bennett discusses Walsall's latest victory - as they stretched their lead at the top of League Two to 12 points.

Transcript

00:00Good evening Sadler's fans, I'm outside Bescott where Walsall have just extended their lead

00:07at the League 2 Summit once again to 12 points with a 2-0 victory over Newport County and

00:17the locker was just behind me then absolutely bouncing. There's a real feel good feeling

00:22about the place at the moment and understandably so with six wins in a row in the league. The

00:29first time Walsall have kept five consecutive league clean sheets for the first time since

00:351975. So you can't help but avoid the fact that it feels something special could be happening

00:43here. Matt Sadler understandably looking to keep calm and take it one game at a time.

00:52But yeah today he named an unchanged 11 and unchanged 18 from that 2-0 win over Doncaster

01:00Rovers on Boxing Day and it was actually Newport who were the better side in the opening exchanges.

01:10They looked to build from the back, dominated the ball but Walsall remained solid off the

01:15ball and were just guilty of being a little bit sloppy to be honest in the rare moments

01:20they did have it. Seemed a little rushed, Jamie Jellis had a difficult afternoon and

01:26the ball just wouldn't really stick for them. They did improve as the half went on. Nathan

01:32Lowe and Jamil Matt forced comfortable saves from the Newport County goalkeeper and then

01:37they had the best chance of the first half when Taylor Allen delivered a corner kick

01:42to the near post. Nathan Lowe seemed surprised really that the chance fouled him, headed

01:46wide from all of four yards. Jamil Matt glanced ahead of wide just after the break and still

01:55wasn't quite clicking but it was a much improved performance in that first 15 minutes. Then

02:00Matt Sadler made a triple change, Jack Earing, Oshin McKenzie and Albert Adoma came on as

02:07Jamil Matt, Jamie Jellis and Charlie Lakin made way. Walsall were the better side in

02:15the final 30 minutes and then deserved the victory really. Nathan Lowe had a great chance

02:22when David Akagbe cushioned the ball down for him, just poked the ball wide on a half

02:27volley but he was unfazed by that as all good strikers should be and 90 seconds later kept

02:34his head up as he poked the ball home. Jack Earing, a good impact from the bench, he lost

02:43the ball high to the back post, was then cushioned down by Taylor Allen and Lowe was

02:47there. Walsall had chances to extend their lead with Ryan Stirk forcing a really impressive

02:54save of thumping effort from the Newport Guaranteed goalkeeper Nick Townsend and then in stoppage

03:00time Taylor Allen looped the ball over the top, Lowe kept his composure to put the seal

03:06on the win with his 16th goal now across all competitions. Walsall still flying at

03:13the top in a great atmosphere here at the Bescott to end 2024.