WALSALL will be aiming to take out their frustrations on Newport County AFC on Saturday after their midweek clash with Morecambe was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Bescot Stadium.

The Saddlers kicked off 2024 with a thumping 6-1 win at Grimsby Town on New Year's Day, but are winless in four since then and were looking to get back to winning ways against Morecambe on Tuesday night.

But heavy downpours in the Midlands meant the match was called off, much to the frustration of Walsall manager Mat Sadler.

“Both managers wanted to play the game,” said Sadler. “They’ve come all the way down from Morecambe on the day of the game, and I hope not many of their supporters made it because that would be extremely frustrating. A lot of our supporters did, unfortunately.

“It looked a harsh one for me. I know the football club hasn’t had a game postponed with a waterlogged pitch for some 20-odd years and the groundstaff work so hard to get these games on.

“We’ve clearly had a lot of rain, but to my eyes the ball was moving well enough for the game to be played.”

Sadler will now turn his attention to taking on Graham Coughlan’s in-form Exiles on Saturday, when a win would take the hosts above 13th-placed County.

“It’s all about Saturday now, we’ll have to readjust the week [of training],” said Sadler.

“The players were frustrated. They wanted to play.

“They’re pent up, they were ready and raring to go.

"You get yourself up and enter that psychological place that you need to be in, and then when that’s taken away you’ve wasted a lot of energy doing that. But, it is what it is.”