Striker Caolan Lavery admits that his first goals for the club came with a bittersweet taste as the Saddlers exited the Carabao Cup at the hands of Crawley Town on Tuesday night.
The 26-year-old came off the bench seven minutes into the second half to score with his first touch from the penalty spot to get Darrell Clarke’s side back in the game.
Despite going 3-1 down, Lavery netted again to give the Saddlers another lifeline but it proved a hurdle too far and the striker, we became our 15th signing of the summer, was disappointed to exit the competition.
“It was a disappointed dressing room after the defeat,” said Lavery. “We got ourselves a life line but then we switched off again and conceded a sloppy goal and we were on the back foot again.
“Then we managed to get ourselves back in the game again but unfortunately it just wasn’t meant to be.
“The lads are disappointed with the defeat but I think the most disappointing thing is that we got ourselves into that position in the first place.
“We’re going to go back to the training ground this week, watch the match back and analyse where we went wrong and then work on everything to make it right. I can see a lot of positives in this team though.
“It’s always nice as a striker to get on the score sheet early on but it’s a bitter sweet feeling. It’s nice to get on the score sheet like I say but it would have been even better if we had got through to the next round.”
And after his cup brace, Lavery is hoping that he has given manager Clarke a selection headache heading into this weekend’s game against Crewe Alexandra.
“Hopefully I have given the manager something to think about after the two goals I scored against Crawley.
“At the end of the day it is his decision that is final and we are all backing his decision. It’s one of those that I am happy to play wherever he wants me to play, whenever he wants me to play.”
