Mat Sadler hails ‘proper team performance’ as Walsall pull clear at Oldham

Mat Sadler saluted table-topping Walsall after they recorded a sixth away league win at Oldham to extend their lead to four points.

The Saddlers have the best away record in Sky Bet League Two, with Daniel Kanu’s first-half goal earning another maximum points haul from a 1-0 victory.

Kanu, on loan from Charlton, bagged his 10th goal of the season after intercepting a wayward 27th-minute backpass from Luke Hannant.

Sadler, who made six changes to the side who won at Gateshead in the FA Cup on Sunday, said: “It was brilliant, an unbelievable win and 1-0s are the best ones.

“It was a proper team performance, and everyone contributed as we knew they would have to at the start of this busy week.

“They all had to play their part and not just the XI – it is a squad game, and everyone did their job.”

Sadler added that Oldham presented a challenge by adding physicality to their side.

He said: “Oldham went big against us and were a threat. We had to earn the right to put our foot on the ball and, when we did that, we played brilliant football at times.

“We showed two sides, one that had to fight and battle and one which put its foot on the ball. I am so proud of them.

“It was a top performance, and I was glad to give it to our supporters. To have almost 550 fans here on a Wednesday night is not normal in this division.”

Sadler was reluctant to mention individuals but praised Sierra Leone international Kanu.

He said: “He is a very good player, and we are blessed and pleased that Charlton have given us the responsibility of looking after him at this phase of his career.

“We will handle that with a fine-toothed comb but, more importantly, he is a wonderful kid.”

It was a disappointing night for Oldham whose wretched home form continued – they have won only two of their 10 home league games as their players were booed from the field at the end of the game.

Manager Micky Mellon, whose side are languishing in the lower reaches of the table, did not gloss over the game.

He said: “It was a damp, drab affair which was low in quality, and we gave away a really poor goal. We made a big mistake which determined the result.

“You couldn’t say we were outplayed by the top of the league but shot ourselves in the foot.

“We kept going but did not have a lot of creativity. We have to find moments of quality and make more of them if we are to win games.

“We have good players but just need to find the levels of quality needed to get results in this division. And we cannot give away goals lie we did at Accrington and today because it makes it very difficult.”