Lee Grant delighted with new Walsall keeper Jed Ward

Lee Grant loves what new stopper Jed Ward is giving Walsall – even if he did hope to see a bit less of it in a 0-0 League Two draw with Grimsby.

Ward, 23, earned the plaudits not only for chalking up his third straight clean sheet but his overall contribution to combating Grimsby’s set-piece threat, his arm frequently emerging from the crowd to swat away dangerous deliveries.

It was tight and physical but an absorbing contest with both managers agreeing that neither side quite deserved victory, with Walsall’s best spell of pressure early in the second half dealt with by excellent centre-half partners Maldini Kacurri and Cameron McJannet.

Ward then went on to make the save of the game, beating away Jayden Sweeney’s rising thump on the run from the edge of the box with 13 minutes to go.

“I’m not sure he could have had a better start, Jed’s been exceptional,” said Walsall boss Grant.

“My thought process driving in today was that I hoped we would have to use him less. The boys trust him immensely, his level has been top and when needed he was there but there were other bits that I enjoyed – the aerial bits, the punch, the readiness to come and help the team.

“This league demands that side of it as well as the spectacular stuff.”

Courtney Clarke hammered high and wide Walsall’s best chance of the first half from Aaron Pressley’s nudge across the box after 16 minutes, while Charles Vernam skied Andy Cook’s lay-off during the spell of Mariners pressure that followed.

Clarke hit into the chest of Christy Pym having bustled inside as Saddlers upped the ante after the break but Grimsby again posed a greater threat as the half wore on with Ward flying to his right to get a firm hand to Sweeney’s travelling effort.

Grant admitted he “had to say a fair bit” to his players at half-time.

“They’re really honest and there is great humility but I want them to realise that they are also a good team,” he said.

“If you look at the first 10 minutes, they showed us an awful lot of respect. I didn’t like the way we used that respect, the tempo and energy that we showed, but the reaction at half-time was perfect.”

Opposite number David Artell felt midfielder Cian Doyle was denied “a blatant penalty” as he dashed into the box late on but acknowledged “neither team did enough” to win.

“You don’t get them now,” he said.

“You have to literally commit GBH to get a penalty now, they explained the higher threshold before the start of the season but you cannot take someone out chest high and not expect a penalty.

“I don’t want to just talk about that incident, though. It was a really good game to watch between two good, competitive teams with slightly different styles on the day. We defended very well against a good team.”