Saddlers must toughen-up

Last updated : 06 October 2003 By Dave Hawkes
Saddlers manager Colin Lee has urged his team to get tough on their travels after suffering their fourth consecutive away league defeat on Saturday. Since holding Coventry to a 0-0 draw back in August his team have lost all four of their away matches and have failed to score more than one goal in a game.

Despite coming from behind to equalise against Burnley at the weekend Saddlers slipped to another defeat after conceeding 2 goals in the last 10 minutes and their poor form away from Bescot Stadium is threatening to ruin their season.

Saddlers have lost just once at home this season and have picked-up 11 points, but on their travels Lee's side continue to struggle.

Speaking to the Evening Mail the Saddlers manager said: "We've got to be tougher and withstand the pressure. In the second half they pushed onto us and boxed us in. We just couldn't get out and stop the waves of attacks."

Scoring goals has caused problems throughout this season but now the defence is starting to concern the manager too. Lee said: "We have to value possesion more. We played some terrific counter attack football in the first-half but we need to find a way of making us more resilient at the back."

Three more games on the road - against Watford, Sunderland, and Reading - lie ahead before Saddlers get back to Bescot Stadium against Wigan Athletic and Lee knows his side must pick up points game after game.