MATCH REACTION: Ian Evatt's verdict on Wanderers' FA Cup exit at Walsall

IAN Evatt was disappointed with Wanderers’ cup exit at Walsall – but says focus must remain on the League One promotion chase.

After making five changes at the Bescot Stadium, Josh Sheehan’s second-half free kick seemed to have put the Whites into a good position against their League Two opponents.

But poor defending just four minutes later allowed ex-Bolton defender Liam Gordon to grab an equaliser, and Walsall went on to force a winner in the final minute through Jamie Jellis.

“I think second half they made it difficult for us, first half an hour we were excellent,” Evatt said.

“Tuesday we took our chances but today we didn’t. We should have been out of sight.

“They are a team which is going well, they have a distinctive way of playing, very direct, lot of forward runners, a bit like Stevenage. And we just didn’t cope with it well enough, we didn’t do the basics, and after getting ourselves ahead to concede from a long ball, not matched up and tracking players, giving them freedom in the box, it is just not acceptable.

“Then the second ball, a turnover, long counter-attack, they out-run us to get to the ball first, which is frustrating and disappointing. But the biggest positive today is no more injuries because we just can’t afford to lose any more.

“We had to give Rico a game off, we can’t risk him. We had to rest the front three who had been doing well in the league. I am disappointed but we have to concentrate and focus now on what is a really big game coming up on Saturday.”

Evatt had announced prior to the game that he would be making changes – and brought Scott Arfield, Klaidi Lolos, Dion Charles, Randall Williams and Will Forrester back into the side, resting centre-half Ricardo Santos.

But he insists changing the team was a necessary evil, with eight senior players currently unavailable going into next weekend’s crucial clash at Stockport County.

He said: “It is not about pointing fingers at the ones who came in. We are a group and we celebrate together when we win, and we suffer together when we lose.

“We have given it our best. I could have played a lot more changes and played more of the youngsters because the league is the most important thing for us.

“I thought the fans were magnificent, got behind the team second half in particular, but just as we were getting to grips with it again and pressing forwards, we concede on the break.

Evatt is also confident there will be no knock-on effect to league form after the cup exit.

“These cup games are games in isolation,” he said. “We have found some good form in the league, good rhythm, and we changed things around today to try and rest and recover some of the ones who are crucial to is in the midst of an injury crisis.

“We just know if we can get through the game on Saturday we have bodies returning that can make us incredibly stronger.”