Walsall were back in Sky Bet League Two action on Tuesday evening as they welcomed Fleetwood Town to the Poundland Bescot Stadium for their ninth league outing of the campaign.Walsall began the game brightly, seeing much of the early possession and creating the first-half chance of the match just four minutes into the contest, as Liam Gordon crossed the ball in for Jamie Jellis, whose effort from outside the area was well blocked by the Fleetwood defences.
The Saddlers continued to see much of the ball and were presented with another chance to open the scoring in the seventh minute, as Jamille Matt worked the ball upfield for Charlie Lakin, who broke into the box before firing his effort on goal well wide of the upright.
There was a break in play in the eleventh minute, allowing Brendan Wiredu to receive attention from the Fleetwood medical team. It was eventually determined that he would be unable to continue, and the visiting side were forced to make an early substitution, with Rhys Bennett taking his place.
With fourteen minutes on the clock, Walsall found the breakthrough as Connor Barrett worked the ball up the right before crossing the ball in towards the back post where Harry Williams was waiting to poke home, with a little assistance from a deflection off a Fleetwood defender.
Fleetwood levelled the scores just over ten minutes later, as Ryan Graydon played a low ball through into the path of Ronan Coughlan, who was allowed far too much space by the Walsall defences, and fired home into the bottom corner.
Both sides enjoyed spells with the ball as the game continued, with neither able to create much going forward, though, in the thirty-fourth minute, Nathan Lowe spotted Town 'keeper, David Harrington, off his line and fired a speculative effort goal-wards from inside his own half, though the shot ultimately sailed well wide.
Walsall won a corner five minutes before the break, as Matt played a promising through ball to Lowe, who looked to play it on to Lakin, with Elliott Bonds poking it away and out of play. Nothing would come of the flag-kick though.
Fleetwood were quick to work the ball up to the other end, with the ball being played in for Carl Johnston, whose low strike from the edge of the area was well easily saved by Walsall shot-stopper, Tommy Simkin.
Walsall won a corner in the forty-fifth minute, as Bennett turned the ball out of play. Taylor Allen swung the ball into the area from the flag-kick, with a scramble in the box ultimately seeing the ball fall to Matt, who fired home to restore the Saddlers' earlier lead.
Three additional minutes were added to end the first-half, during which time we saw the first booking of the game, as Rhys Bennett was cautioned following a foul on Lowe.
The visiting side won a corner late in added time as Barrett turned the ball out of play, but the Saddlers defence stood firm to ensure that they would head off to enjoy their half-time refreshments leading by two-goals-to-one.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and the action got back underway. Walsall saw their first chance of the second-half sail well wide of the target, just two minutes after the restart, as Matt fired a speculative effort goal-wards from distance.
With fifty-one minutes on the clock, Fleetwood were awarded a penalty, as David Okagbue fouled Coughlan just inside the area, with the striker stepping forth to take the spot-kick, and duly converting to level the scores.
Walsall chose to make their first changes of the evening, in the fifty-sixth minute, with Charlie Lakin and Jamille Matt making way for Jack Earing and Albert Adomah.
Fleetwood took the lead in the fifty-seventh minute, winning a corner which was swung into the area and eventually fell to Kayden Hughes, who prodded home from close range.
Walsall won a corner at the other end, five minutes later, from which they probably should have scored, as the ball was initially cleared off the line but only as far as Ryan Stirk who crossed to Barrett, whose headed effort sailed inches wide of the post.
Fleetwood won a free-kick in the sixty-seventh minute, which was swung into the area by Mackenzie Hunt for Bennett, who rose well to head goal-wards, with the ball finding the back of the net with assistance from Hughes, off of whom the ball deflected beyond Simkin.
Walsall responded to falling further behind, by making their third change of the evening, as Connor Barrett was replaced by Reyes Cleary in the seventy-second minute.
Town continued to press, winning a corner in the seventy-sixth minute, as Okagbue turned the ball out of play. The ball in from the flag-kick was good and eventually fell to Elliott Bonds, who fired wide.
Walsall chose to make their final change of the evening in the seventy-seventh minute, as Jamie Jellis made way for Danny Johnson.
The Saddlers should have pulled a goal back in the eighty-third minute, as the side won a free-kick, which was crossed in by Gordon for Johnson, but the strikers headed effort clipped the post as it headed out.
Fleetwood chose to make two changes to their line-up in the eighty-fifth minute, as Danny Mayor and Ronan Coughlan made way for Mark Helm and Kian Harratt.
The visiting side added a fifth goal to their tally seconds after the changes were completed, as Harratt, moments after joining the fray, crossed the ball to Matthew Virtue-Thick, who beat Simkin with an effort from the centre of the area.
Five additional minutes were added to end the match, and adding insult to injury, four minutes into them, Fleetwood added a sixth, as Ryan Graydon crossed the ball in for Mark Helm, who fired past Simkin, who looked a beaten man with a half-hearted attempt to keep it out.
That would be the final action of note, and the referee called time with Fleetwood winning by six-goals-to-two.
A disappointing display from the Saddlers, who capitulated after seeing Fleetwood equalise for a second time early in the second-half, conceding two more on the night than they had in the previous eight league outings, and failing to take their own chances when presented.
| WILLIAMS (14') MATT (45') |
COUGHLAN (25') COUGHLAN [P] (51') HUGHES (57') HUGHES (67') VIRTUE (85') HELM (90+4') |
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | DALE BAINES |