CITY had to settle for a point after firing a blank at Walsall last night.

T&A chief sports writer SIMON PARKER was at a freezing Bescot Stadium and provides the match stats and his player ratings.

MAN OF THE MATCH

City’s rock-solid defensive run continued as they repelled Walsall’s long throws and crosses. Sam Stubbs just edges it from Matty Platt for me as both centre halves dealt with everything thrown their way.

A nod too for Andy Cook and the amount of work he did in his own penalty area clearing the danger.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Andy Cook usually scores at the Bescot to wind up the fans at his former club - but the woodwork kept out his first-half header.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

It was a dour game, stop-start and scrappy, and City lacked the quality going forward to find a way past a defence as mean as theirs.

TACTICS

Mark Hughes named an unchanged team for the fourth consecutive game. The only difference was on the bench where Tolaji Bola returned from his recent side strain to replace Emmanuel Osadebe.

The former Walsall midfielder missed out against his old club after picking up a painful knock late in the Colchester game.

REFEREE: Lewis Smith (Wigan)

BOOKINGS: Daniels (Walsall); Stubbs, Halliday, Smallwood (City)

ATTENDANCE: 4,951

SHOTS ON TARGET: Walsall 5 City 0

SHOTS OFF TARGET: Walsall 7 City 10

CORNERS: Walsall 5 City 1

FOULS: Walsall 9 City 9

PLAYER RATINGS

WALSALL: Evans 6, White 7, Daniels 7, Monthe 8, Knowles 8, Comley 7, Maddox 6 (Kinsella 75min), Hutchinson 7, Gordon 6, Williams 6, Wilkinson 6 (James-Taylor 78min). Subs (not used): Riley, McEntee, Stevens, Allen, Low.

CITY: Lewis 6, Halliday 7, Platt 8, Stubbs 8, Ridehalgh 7, Clayton 6 (Banks 75min), Gilliead 6 (East 75min), Smallwood 6, Walker 6, Costelloe 5 (Crichlow 87min), Cook 7. Subs (not used): Chapman, Bola, Kelly, Doyle.