It would not be a stretch to say Walsall’s season was firmly split in two; a storming start and fizzling finish.
Sadler had extended his tenure with a new long-term contract on January 7th.
Besides, Lowe was not the only star in the squad.
Defender Taylor Allen scored the second most goals from distance across the top four tiers of English football across the 2024-25 season, while midfielder Ryan Stirk was joint-fourth for winning possession.
But shortly after Lowe departed, Walsall’s form dipped, leading to their unenviable winless run until their win on the final day, backed up by two strong performances against Chesterfield in the semi-finals.
It looked like they were bouncing back for the play-offs, just in the nick of time, but then the final arrived.
The first-half on the Wembley ground saw them stripped back to the type of football that lost them their healthy lead in the first place, offering no creative solutions in the final third.
According to Opta, the Saddlers are the first team not to register a single shot in the opening half of an EFL play-off final since they began recording in 2012.
They put in a better showing in the second-half, with Jamille Matt’s effort needing to be cleared off the line, but they could not find an equaliser to keep themselves in with a chance.
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