00:00Good evening Sadler's fans. I'm delighted to be joined by Cheltenham Town correspondent, John Palmer,
00:07where Walsall look destined to be heading for another three points until a late comeback from Cheltenham Town.
00:18So firstly, John, give me your thoughts on that one.
00:20Well, I think Michael Flynn sums it up quite well when he said that if that happens to your team, it feels like a win.
00:25Even though they only got a point, it feels like a win. And for Walsall, it'll probably feel like a defeat.
00:29It was a cracking end to the game for the Cheltenham fans and the fans did stick with the team even at 2-0 down.
00:34I thought it was a cracking atmosphere because the Walsall fans made a lot of noise all the way through, over a thousand of them.
00:40But Cheltenham fans will go home thinking we've got a point against the leaders.
00:44We can give anyone a game and they'll think that they've got a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.
00:49Yeah, well, I mean, you know, you look at that home form.
00:53That was something we were speaking about before the game that, you know,
00:56although Walsall were in the position they are at the top of the table, it was always going to be a difficult evening for Walsall.
01:03But, you know, you kind of look across what was really 89 minutes where, although Cheltenham had moments, really it felt like Walsall were in control.
01:14And after that mistake from Sam Stubbs, which Adoma capitalised on and finished off,
01:23it did really feel like the game was out for Cheltenham.
01:26So I guess really to show that spirit to come back, it would be disappointing in the manner in which Walsall conceded the goals.
01:32But to show that spirit to come back is a positive from your side.
01:36Yeah, I thought Walsall looked really good.
01:38I was really impressed with probably seven or eight really good performances.
01:42They will probably come off wondering how they haven't won the game.
01:45But what Michael Flynn has done is Cheltenham never give up, especially here.
01:49They've won the previous four in a row here.
01:52Perfect record here in 2025 in all competitions.
01:55So I knew it was going to be tight tonight, even though Walsall could have won 11 points clear at one point.
02:00They were 11 points clear. And then I think they lose down to seven now.
02:03But two wins for Walsall followed by this point, even though they'll go home disappointed not to have won it.
02:09It's not a bad run of results just to steady the ship.
02:12And Michael Flynn certainly backed them for promotion, said he wants them to go on automatic promotion now, which is quite nice.
02:18He got a bit sticky from the travelling fans during the game, but I think he took it in good spirits.
02:22And he speaks very fondly of his time there.
02:24So he has said several times that he thinks they're well and he wants them to.
02:29But, you know, what he's done at Cheltenham has been good.
02:31And if they can even keep it interesting to the players to the end of the season, he's done a brilliant job.
02:36And, you know, from a kind of Walsall standpoint, it was the perfect start for them really inside the opening 60 seconds.
02:45Ellis Harrison getting on the score sheet.
02:47And, you know, one thing that Walsall has been a particular threat from a set piece is Jamie Jellis' long throw.
02:51Oshin McKenzie with the flicked header, which was then clawed into the goal mouth by Joe Day.
02:59And, you know, great predatory instincts from Harrison himself to get on the score sheet.
03:05So how did you see Cheltenham's response to that?
03:08Because it was kind of a rip-roaring start.
03:09And it felt for sort of the first 10 to 15 minutes, it was hard to sort of contain Walsall.
03:15Yeah, I think Flynn would be disappointed with the ease of the flick up the back header.
03:19And then Joe Day could only just sort of claw it straight out to Harrison.
03:22He's already scored against Cheltenham this season for MK Dons.
03:24And I know he's got a couple already now for Walsall.
03:26But I actually think Cheltenham did quite well to sort of knock a collapse a bit.
03:31And I know Walsall had a little bit of pressure, but I don't remember Joe Day making too many saves at that point.
03:37Or throughout the game in general, really, for all Walsall's good play.
03:40I didn't think he was pulling off heroics in goal because Cheltenham defended well.
03:44I thought Stubbs was really good, apart from the mistake for the Adoma goal.
03:48But, yeah, the response was, you know, because the game plan probably goes out the window.
03:52It's easy to throw out that window when you concede after 48 seconds, I think it was.
03:56But they stuck to what they set out to do.
03:59I don't think they ripped it up because it was a bit of a freak to concede after 48 seconds.
04:05But when you go 2-0 down in the 79th minute, that's when they could have easily just thrown the towel in.
04:11But the substitutions that Flynn sent on, obviously Miller scored one, set the second one up.
04:17And Thomas, who also went on, scored the equaliser.
04:20And a couple of the other lads who went on, I thought did well.
04:22So he's got a decent bench now, Flynn, as well, which obviously made an impact tonight.
04:26But Walsall did look a cut above at times.
04:30But I thought Cheltenham dug in and sort of really worked hard to contain them.
04:34They don't give teams much space.
04:37But Jellis, who you mentioned for the throw-in, I thought he was excellent at times tonight.
04:41And there were some other really good performances.
04:43So even though Walsall will go home disappointed, it might feel like a defeat.
04:47I still think they look like a team ready to step up to League One.
04:51Well, hopefully that's the case.
04:52You know, a strong position at the minute, still seven points clear at the top.
04:55Swindon, next on Saturday.
04:58That's all from us here.
04:59Thank you very much.
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