After going undefeated in their last ten Sky Bet League Two games, Walsall made their way North to the Exercise Stadium and took on Harrogate Town.Walsall got the action underway, and both teams took some time to settle into the game, with the windy conditions playing their part during the early exchanges.
The Saddlers won the first corner of the match, ten minutes into the contest, which Taylor Allen swung the ball into the box for Harry Williams, but the defender glanced his headed effort wide.
The visiting side continued to test their hosts defences as the game continued, winning another corner in the seventeenth minute. Allen again swung the ball into the box from the flag-kick, forcing a scrambling save from Harrogate 'keeper, James Belshaw.
The windy conditions continued to affect the game as it continued, but the Saddlers continued to seek chances to get forward when possible, winning another corner as we reached the half hour mark, as Zico Asare turned a Charlie Lakin effort, from a tight angle, behind. Nothing would come of the flag-kick though, as Allen's ball in was dealt with by the Harrogate defence.
The Walsall persistence paid off in the thirty-fourth minute, as Nathan Lowe won the ball back and drove forward before firing a powerful low strike into the bottom corner from some distance.
Josh March became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Williams, in the thirty-fifth minute.
A second yellow followed for Josh March just three minutes later, as the striker elbowed Allen in the face, seeing Harrogate reduced to ten men for the remainder of the game.
Three minutes were added to end the first-half, but there was little further action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments with Walsall leading by one-goal-to-nil.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and Harrogate got the action back underway. Walsall began the second-half brightly, going close just two minutes after the restart, as Connor Barrett beat his man and crossed the ball into the box, with the loose ball eventually finding Lakin, whose effort on goal was blocked.
The Saddlers continued to press, winning a corner in the fifty-first minute as Matthew Foulds turned the ball behind, but nothing would come of the flag-kick.
The visitors were quick to work the ball back into the danger zone though, with Barrett combining with Albert Adomah, in the fifty-fourth minute, to play in Lakin, but Belshaw was alert to the danger and pulled off a fine save to deny him.
Harrogate opted to make their first change of the afternoon in the fifty-seventh minute, with Stephen Dooley making way for Jack Muldoon.
Walsall continued to seek a second goal, and almost found one as we reached the hour mark, but Lowe was unable to find the target, as he turned Barrett's cross narrowly wide.
The hosts then chose to make their second change of the game, with Toby Sims departing in favour of Sam Folarin.
Walsall continued to test the Town defences as the game continued, with Lakin firing an effort in from outside the area, in the sixty-fourth minute, as he latched onto a cross from David Okagbue, but the effort was saved, keeping the hosts in the game.
Harrogate chose to make their third and final change of the afternoon, in the sixty-seventh minute, as Zico Asare was replaced by Stephen Duke-McKenna.
Walsall doubled their advantage in the sixty-ninth minute, as a lovely low cross into the box from Lakin, was met by Adomah, who controlled well before firing into the bottom corner.
The visitors continued to press, with Allen seeing an effort blocked just two minutes after the goal, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
The Saddlers then chose to make their first change of the game, in the seventy-third minute, with Jamie Jellis making way for Jack Earing.
Matthew Foulds became the second player to see yellow, in the seventy-sixth minute, as he was cautioned following a foul on Lowe.
The visiting side went close again from the resulting free-kick, as Williams met Allen's ball in and headed goal-wards, but his effort sailed narrowly over the crossbar. Another free-kick followed moments later, with Allen forcing a save from Belshaw with a powerful strike, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
Ten minutes from time, the Saddlers chose to make two further changes to their line-up, with Ryan Stirk and Nathan Lowe making way for Oisin McEntee and Danny Johnson.
Things settled after that, with a quiet final ten minutes, with the only event of note being Taylor Allen making way for Evan Weir, in the eighty-ninth minute.
Following the change, Walsall did go close to adding a third goal, as Liam Gordon launched a lovely solo run, but Belshaw was equal to his effort on goal, making the save with an outstretched leg, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
Four additional minutes were added to end the match, with the only action of note a fine save from Walsall shot-stopper, Tommy Simkin, who had otherwise had a rather quiet afternoon, to deny Matty Daly as he looked to turn a Duke-McKenna cross home.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the referee called time on the contest with Walsall winning by two-goals-to-nil, ensuring they would top the League Two table come Christmas.
| LOWE (34') ADOMAH (69') |
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| AT | EXERCISE STADIUM |
| REFEREE | SAM MULHALL |