Peter Cklamovski hailed Salford’s ability to calm the storm of Walsall’s fightback to chalk up a seventh straight Sky Bet League Two victory.
The table-topping Ammies let slip a two-goal lead yet still emerged 4-2 winners at the Bescot to move six points clear at the summit.
Salford seized control through Macauley Langstaff and Jorge Grant and while the Saddlers, unbeaten in the league at kick-off, roared back through Aaron Pressley and Lewis Simper, substitutes Kallum Cesay and Ade Oluwo came to the rescue.
Boss Cklamovski reflected on a “mixed bag” but wore a contented smile thanks to the effervescence of his side’s display.
“It was disappointing to leave the door open for the two goals but overall it was another strong team performance,” he said.
“We came out of the blocks at the start, it was really good to watch and to see the players being positive and brave.
“There was a short period in the first half where they got a bit of momentum without hurting us. I thought getting the reward late in the first half was fair enough.
“We managed the second half really well until we left the door open but we had the composure and maturity to settle the game and play our football through it. The players worked really hard to get the job done.”
The rivals traded chances in a frantic opening 20 minutes but things settled and a prolonged spell of possession broke the deadlock in the 45th minute, with Luke Molyneux’s crisp pass inside from the right rifled low across goal by Langstaff.
The second arrived nine minutes into the second half, Brendan Wiredu mugging Courtney Clarke on the left edge of the box before Grant thumped the ball inside the far post.
Tai Sodje’s persistence down the right saw Saddlers hit back from nowhere in the 58th minute, his cutback slammed in by Pressley, and parity was restored eight minutes later when Mason Hancock’s swirling cross from the left was steered in by Simper’s header.
Salford instantly stroked through the Saddlers, though, Langstaff laying off for Cesay to fire past Jed Ward a minute later.
Molyneux’s outswinging corner was powered inside the near post by Oluwo with eight minutes left but Walsall continued to probe, a source of pride amid home boss Lee Grant’s mixed emotions.
“There were two versions of us,” he said.
“The one that didn’t play with enough personality, confidence or belief for the majority of the first half and the version at two down that decided we needed to have a swing at the game.
“They are certainly the best team we have played and we didn’t approach the game with the mentality that we were ready to go and attack it. Strangely, we will believe in ourselves a little bit more having had good opportunities.
“You have to be consistent in that and you have to defend the goal better than we did. We gave away poor goals.”
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