It’s A Friendly, Right?

It’s a sunny day: a lot gets done during the day.

I have used my season ticket for the first time (to reserve my seat) and get two extra tickets for the friendly game this evening. Opponents Leicester City (new boys to the Premier league in the forthcoming season).

Promises to be interesting right?

Walsall’s results in friendlies so far not exactly encouraging. But they’re friendlies right? Meant to add to player’s fitness, get them playing together like a well-oiled machine (nah, you’re right that metaphor definitely doesn’t work … but it’s staying put!), test out new strategies, different positions, all that malarkey …

Then again, so far we’re getting players injured in these games and it’s time to start sweating., maybe. We have a small squad, so injury problems are never far away, if not actually paying a visit and eating your scones.

Good crowd from Leicester; posh coaches too. Our daughter Rebecca, who teaches in Leicester, is one of my guests. The other is a Liverpool fan, just interested in seeing a game I guess.

The new electronic scoreboard! It’s bright, it shows pictures that are synched with the announcements and, soon after kick off the timer is wrong. the pitch looks splendid, but, then again, if it’s not pristine now, there’s really no hope is there?

Our number 2 is listed on the team sheet as “A. Triallist”. He is big! A little out of fitness and he doesn’t track back when big Wes Morgan lumbers up to score Leicester’s first. Nobody to blame really for the second. A good tackle from Paul Downing (our vice-captain this season) bobbles to a Fox, David Nugent, who hammers it sweetly into the net. We’re looking a bit nervous at this point.

Just before the break some relaxed Leicester defending sees our number two stick the ball in the net. Bit rough house, but it’s “in the sprout bag” and the referee gives it. Bit of muscle, just what we’ll need when the pressure is on and we need to use a target man to soak up time.

The announcement of the scorer is typical Walsall.

“The first goal for the Super saddlers was scored by number two … I don’t know who*.”

We seem invigorated after the break. Baxendale sharper, O’Connor (new signing) and Mal Benning, especially looking useful.  Adam Chambers, new captain is at the centre of things, leading, typically by example and effort. The ball gets squeezed up the wing, dinked inside; a run from A. Triallist who looks up and slides the pass inside for another new boy Ashley Grimes to equalise.

Both teams give the other a thoroughly good work out. Leicester look less threatening in the second half, but manage a winner after a welter of substitutions, including “Another Triallist”.

It’s still warm when we leave the ground, with stewards not yet “up to speed on segregating the masses trying to exit via the Bonser Suite. Not an easy job: but this year I can smile and flash my season ticket.

Don’t worry people this is a friendly, you have time to get your act together. The Express and Star and web-site Bescot Banter certainly do. They have the Triallist named and noted as Mathieu Manset.