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Unbelievable, Town let a 3-1 lead slip and end up losing the game in a seven-goal thriller at the Bescott Stadium on Saturday.
Town were 2-0 inside the first 10 minutes and then took it to 3-1 before Walsall pulled one back at half time to make the score 3-2. But in the second half the Town team folded, and Walsall took advantage and Town paid the price as Paul Merson inspired his Walsall to a 4-3 victory.

The former Arsenal and England star Paul Merson, who is rumoured to be gambling again after a few scandals in his Arsenal years, Merson inspired his men to a what you could say as a remarkable fight back, scoring the first for Walsall himself then seeing 19 year old Matt Fryatt grab a hat-trick which included a penalty.

It was thrilling stuff for the travelling fans in a crowd of 5,700 crowd at Town got off to a dream start with a double blast in the first ten minutes.
They then had a third only to see it revive Walsall largely to magical work from Merson.
Merson, player-boss of Walsall, had is resignation refused by the Walsall chairman following a hefty 5-0 defeat at Walsall last week.

Merson must have been fuming as Town ripped Walsall apart in the first half, time after time Town surged forward with Booth making himself present as usual as the Walsall defence couldn?t seem to handle Boothy.
After an early scare when Walsall had a few chances in the opening ten minutes, Town took command that they have not shown in weeks.

Andy Booth in a three-man attack for himself, Abbott and Beckett, Gave the travelling Town fans a smile on their faces on seven minutes,
Booth cashed in a defensive slip by Walsall defender Julian Bennett and from an angle and 10 yards out, Boothy glided the ball over keeper Murphy and into the back of the net. 1-0 to Town.

Three minutes later Town fans must have thought surely another three points at Town made it 2-0. Booth forced a throw in on the right, Nat Brown worried the Walsall defence and when Booth?s efforts on goal were blocked the loan ranger Luke Beckett was there to stab in the third goal in three games. 2-0 to the Terriers.
Walsall had a brittle back line but it survived time and again as Town surged forward, but the mere Walsall crowd had something to cheer about on 15 minutes. Merson at the hub on every move with quality passing, drove a 25-yard half volley past Rachubka who had no chance and into the net, the goal smacked of his days when Merson was in the Premiership. But still 2-1 to Town

But the loan ranger Beckett silenced the home crowd after 33 minutes, Booth headed down a Rob Edwards? corner for the on-loan striker to notch his 4th goal for Town in 3 games in his loan spell from Sheffield United. 3-1 to Town.
Listening to it on the radio the ex-Town player Kieran O?Regan kept mentioning that the Walsall defence was very unstable and that Town should push forward and make Walsall pay but it never happened at Walsall pulled one back just before the break.
Fryatt matched Merson?s strike with a spectacular 25-yard volley that Rachubka never saw.
After a passing sequence, Merson showed his quality passing as he chipped the ball up in the air, Fryatt caught the ball from over his shoulder and whacked it on the volley and flew over the Rachubka?s head but if you see the goal you must admit that Rachubka had no chance, that goal by Fryatt has to be one of the goals of the season. But still 3-2 to Town still hope of getting another 3 points.

But in the second half, Walsall looked down and out, but Merson must have took the paint off the walls at half time as Walsall came back out fired up, took the game by the scruff of the neck and made Town pay with their defence collapse.
It just took only 3 minutes in the second half for Town to get back into the game when Efe Sodje, needlessly handled the ball while challenging Fryatt, an offence spotted by the Linesman.
Referee Mike Fletcher consulted his assistant and awarded the spot kick, Fryatt stepped up and sent Rachubka the wrong way. It?s now 3-3.

Once again for the many times this season I?ve lost count, Town nodded off and just basically collapsed, Walsall went gunning for the win and Town?s service to the front three strike force dried up. And the defence went to their usual state of bloody awful defending and the art of ball watching. You may laugh if your not a Town fan but if you are a Town fan it isn?t a laughing matter.

Merson ran the midfield for Walsall and gave Town the killer blow on 73 minutes, Walsall caught Town on the break, the Town defence all ran to Merson like headless chickens and leaving Fryatt who has scored twice already don?t forget in miles of space and you?ll probably guess what happened next. Yep Merson played the pass straight to Fryatt?s feet and the striker banged in his deserved hat-trick leaving our poor keeper Rachubka helpless. 4-3 to Walsall.

Something needs to happen quickly, heads need to roll. I think Jacko has defended his players for too long and they have let him down again and by the sounds of it he?s had enough,
He said himself after the game that if we don?t watch it we?ll end up in a relegation battle and that he?ll try and bring in some new players or if he doesn?t he?ll play the kids probably meaning the likes of John McCombe and Tom Clarke. I often think sometimes I think I should wait outside the players? entrance with my footie boots and see if I can get a game because at the moment it pretty dyer to say the least.

Teams

Walsall: Murphy, Taylor, Wright, Emblen, Bennett, Arandale, Wrack, Kinsella, Merson, Fryatt, Leitao.

Town: Rachubka, Brown (Mirfin 79), Yates (Schofield 85), Sodje, Edwards, Brandon, Worthington, Fowler (Ahmed 65), Booth, Abbott, Beckett
Subs not used: Senior, Mendes

Referee: Mr M Fletcher (Worcester)