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'We're massively disappointed' - Walsall boss Dean Keates reacts to his side's loss to Rochdale

Dean Keates admitted Walsall's overall performance wasn't good enough - but the boss still felt his side deserved a point following their 2-1 loss to Rochdale.

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An Ethan Ebanks-Landell goal - after just four minutes - put the visitors ahead at the Banks's Stadium with Joe Edwards then pulling the Saddlers level with a fine individual strike.

Ethan Hamilton fired Rochdale ahead just before the hour mark before Walsall then missed a host of late chances.

Debutants Corey Blackett-Taylor and Aramide Oteh saw strikes from close-range blocked.

Oteh also had a big shout for a penalty waved away while Cameron Norman powered a header straight at Josh Lillis in the closing seconds.

And Keates felt the Saddlers did enough in the closing stages to grab a point.

“It was a massive game, there’s no denying that and we're massively disappointed," the boss said.

"Did we deserve something out of it? Yes. We had enough chances but little things aren’t going for us.

"In the last second, Cameron Norman great header, if it’s a foot either side it goes in but it goes straight into the keeper’s chest.

"In possession overall though we weren’t good enough if I’m honest.

"We didn’t make enough passes and for whatever reason, we ended up "going a little bit too direct.

“When we did make passes in the last 10-15 minutes, we created some opportunities. I think the fine margins of football are not going our way at the moment."

Walsall were guilty of going long too often over the course of the 90 minutes.

And Keates agreed when asked if he felt his players were too apprehensive about making mistakes.

“You have to show character, you have to want the ball," the manager continued.

"You are going to make mistakes – I can accept mistakes, the pitch isn’t great, it’s bobbly for both teams.

"You are going to make mistakes, it’s how you react from the mistakes, go on and win the ball back. You need to be brave and the situation we are in.

"We were a little bit nervy if I’m honest, the whole place seems a little bit anxious. We were a little bit bitty, we weren’t good enough in possession of the football."

In their previous outing at Plymouth, the Pilgrims won 2-1 after scoring both their goals from set-plays.

Here, Ebanks-Landell opened the scoring following a corner. But Keates felt the strike had an element of good fortune about it.

"There’s a bit of a difference with this one (set-piece)," he said.

"It’s a coming-together, it ricochets off two of our players and it just drops down.

"As I said about the fine margins of football, when things aren’t going for you, the kid’s hit it on the half-volley and it’s gone into the top corner.

“No matter what you do, whether you go man to man or zonal, it’s a coming together between three players – two of ours and one of theirs – and it’s just ricocheted to their player."

Walsall could have had a penalty late on when Oteh collided with Lillis before stabbing the ball towards goal.

And Keates felt the QPR loanee was too honest in the moment.

"He was maybe a little bit too honest," the boss added.

"There was contact off the goalkeeper but the lad’s that eager to try to score and maybe he should have gone down."