BY NATHAN JONES


Yeovil Town boss Russell Slade labelled Walsall's 2-0 win at Huish Park last night as 'ridiculous'.

Goals from Scott Dann and Alex Nicholls handed the Saddlers victory on a night when Yeovil had much the better of the play but failed to take their chances.

The Glovers remain eighth in League One and travel to Southend United on Saturday.

Slade said: "I just thought the result was ridiculous to be honest. I counted five opportunities in the first five minutes and 13 in all in the first period when they probably had one half-chance.

"We are bitterly disappointed. Yes, you have to take your chances and you have to be ruthless. It is a harsh lesson. They got the goal, and that is something to hang on to, and they hit us on the break for the second.

"I didn't think they coped with us. You can forget the conditions because we got the ball down and played and they were lashing it out. They had nothing apart from being strong at the back and keeping the ball out the net.

"Fortune favoured them. But I don't want to be labelled a team that if things don't go right on the day we get beaten. We have to show another side and come out nice and strong."

Slade felt the first goal, glanced in by centre-half Dann was a turning point.

"I was disappointed with the defending," he said. "It was naive at best and at times possibly suicidal. People have got to do their marking jobs.

"For the first goal their centre-half was not picked up by my centre-half and he has got a good contact on the ball from a free-kick that I thought shouldn't have been given, so that was salt in the wounds."

And the manager hinted at changes for the trip to Essex.

"From my point of view I need to put out a side at Southend which has a solid look about it," he said.

"I have not stopped on the phone since the transfer window opened. It is a pain in the backside but it has got to be done. I will shake it up and see if we can improve the quality of player we have got whether it is a permanent signing or a loan signing."

Meanwhile, midfielder Stephen Maher has joined Bournemouth on trial after failing to break into the first-team set-up at Huish Park.

Today's scheduled reserve game against Bristol Rovers at Clevedon Town has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Shirt sponsors Bradford's Building Supplies have extended their deal with Yeovil to include the 2008-09 season.