Express & Star

Walsall strike duo are starting to click

Walsall manager Darrell Clarke is pleased with the burgeoning forward partnership between Josh Gordon and Caolan Lavery.

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The pair put on an impressive performance in the 6-0 rout of Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday, with Lavery assisting Gordon twice before the latter netted his hat-trick.

It’s been the first real chance for fans to see the duo up front together with Lavery only recently returning from a hamstring injury.

And Clarke is hopeful that their new-found partnership could mean more positive results for the Saddlers.

“We missed a lot of chances on Saturday and over the course of the season,” he said.

“My strikers are under pressure to finish those chances, so it’s nice that those two linked well.

“Lavery has got his first 60 minutes in, which is important, it’s great to have his experience.

“We’ll keep working away with the boys, it’s all we can do.”

And Gordon is also pleased with the blossoming relationship between the pair.

“I think we did well,” he said.

“Obviously we work on it in training with all the strikers together.

“I think we play a bit similar, so when I’m not doing a certain run, I know he’s going to do it.”

“The lads knew what we were going to do so it worked well.”

Winger Wes McDonald added: “They’ve done really well and showed what they can do in the final third.

“Josh got his hat-trick, Lavery two assists as well.

“I think them two combining together has really done well.

“They work hard on the training pitch so I’m just happy as a player to see our strikers doing that.”