Striker Sawyer had been getting grief from the Bescot faithful before spending the international break with St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, but scored his first goal since January in the seventh minute.
Mal Benning picked out fellow midfielder Adam Chambers on the left side of the box and he cut the ball back to Sawyers who found the back of the net with a deflected side-footed shot from fourteen yards.
Delighted Walsall boss Dean Smith said:
"It was a good result against a team who were unbeaten in the league until today and I was pleased to see Romaine get himself back on the score sheet."
Tom Bradshaw grabbed the Saddlers second four minutes after the break when he nodded in Antony Forde's right wing cross from eight yards to claim his fourth goal since a summer move from Shrewsbury.
And central defender Paul Downing sealed the win in the 76th minute when he nodded in his first goal of the season at the far post from a Forde corner.
Striker Joe Garner had pulled Preston back into the game in the 36th minute with his fourth goal in six starts when he drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box following a pass from substitute Jordan Hugill.
But Hugill gave referee Geoff Eltringham no option other than to dish out his FOURTH red card of the season in the 69th minute when he head-butted loanee defender Andy Butler who returned to the club last week despite a summer move to Sheffield United.
North End manager Simon Grayson fumed:
"Jordan's been foolish to react the way he did, but we were the masters of our own downfall."
No comments:
Post a Comment