Mat Sadler praises Walsall adaptability after victory over MK Dons

Walsall boss Mat Sadler praised his side’s adaptability as they ran out 1-0 winners over MK Dons 1-0 at Stadium MK.

The Saddlers took all three points as a deflected Charlie Lakin strike in the opening stages of the second half won it.

The Dons created and missed chances after a slow start, but the visitors kept MK at bay.

Victory was Walsall’s fourth win in their opening six League Two matches, with the result ending the Dons’ unbeaten start to the new league season.

Sadler reflected that the team had to show multiple versions of themselves but praised their flexibility in grinding out the victory.

He said: “I thought we showed three or four different sides to us in the game. For the first 35 minutes, we showed that in possession stuff, moving the ball from side-to-side and creating overloads and getting into good positions.

“They (MK Dons) are a fantastic team. We’ve seen that at the start of the season they’ve been blowing teams away so we know we were going to be under the cosh at some point in the game.

“When we scored our goal, brilliant on the transition and I thought we started the second half really well. But it obviously set us up for what we knew then would be a backs to the wall job, and we then show a different side to us with that ability to defend our box incredibly.

“Incredible performance. I thought the lads were outstanding, I’m so proud of every one of them and the supporters who came today. A really good three points.”

Paul Warne thought his MK Dons side had grown into the game well, only to be hindered by difficulties in trying to find themselves a way onto the scoreboard.

He said: “I think my opinion is probably the same as everyone who was in the stadium. I thought first half, we were poor and weren’t really at the races. I don’t think we started well while they started excellent. We didn’t respond to that really and didn’t have much control in the first half, although Craig (MacGillivray) only made one save.

“We grew into it a little bit then at half-time, we tried to change it a little bit and get our wide players to stay high and wide, and apart from conceding that chance, I really liked it.

“I know its not a brilliant thing to say when you’ve lost the game but I really liked how we played. We put lots of crosses in. But I didn’t like that the fact we couldn’t finish any of them. It felt like one of those days where we could be out there forever and just wouldn’t score.”