Stevenage dismantle Walsall in Group South rout
Stevenage moved to the top of the EFL Trophy Group South with a comprehensive 6-1 victory over Walsall at the Bescot Stadium on Tuesday evening. The result leaves the visitors unbeaten after three matches, while the hosts suffered their first defeat of the campaign. And here's the thing, it wasn't the sort of contest where either side had much to be proud of in the first half.
To be fair, Walsall started decently enough, but Stevenage took control almost immediately. Michael Mellon opened the scoring in the eleventh minute, and Lewis Simper doubled the advantage before twenty minutes. By then, Walsall were already scrambling to find a response. Roman Dixon came off the bench in the nineteenth minute, but it made little difference to the momentum.
The second half was a different matter entirely. Wanya Marcal added a third in the twenty-ninth minute, and Jordan Houghton made it four before the break. Mellon completed his hat-trick in the fifty-eighth minute, putting the result beyond any doubt. Ben Broggio scored a consolation goal for the hosts in the sixty-third minute, but the damage was done.
Stevenage dominated possession with 58 per cent and registered eleven shots on target compared to Walsall's solitary attempt. The visitors created more chances, though both sides failed to convert big opportunities. Walsall, sitting second in the table with five points from three games, looked exposed in defence throughout the ninety minutes.
This result ends Walsall's unbeaten run, which had included victories over Port Vale and Accrington Stanley. Stevenage, meanwhile, extend their perfect start to include wins against Luton and Barnsly. The gap between the two sides in the group standings is now significant.
By then, Stevenage had switched off at a set piece and were holding every card. Walsall never got out of second gear after the first twenty minutes, and the result reflected that. The hosts had three games played and now sit one point behind the leaders, but this performance suggests they have work to do.
