Walsall were back in EFL Trophy action on Tuesday evening as they welcomed Reading to the Poundland Bescot Stadium for their Round of 32 clash.Walsall began the game brightly, creating their first chance of the evening just two minutes into the contest, as George Hall combined with Rico Browne to work the ball to Danny Johnson, who was waiting on the edge of the area, but the strikers effort on goal was comfortably saved by Reading 'keeper, David Button.
The Saddlers continued to enjoy a good spell as the match continued, with Browne feeing Albert Adomah, in the fifth minute, but the forward was unable to find the target, sending the ball narrowly wide.
Reading grew into the game, creating their first chance to open the scoring in the twelfth minute, as striker, Jayden Wareham nodded goal-wards from close range, but Walsall shot-stopper, Sam Hornby, was alert to the danger and made the save, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
The home side were quick to work the ball back to the other end, where Jack Earing saw an effort blocked, moments before Johnson fired wide.
Evan Weir became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Emmanuel Osho, in the seventeenth minute.
Walsall continued to seek an opener, with Hall and Adomah combining in the twentieth minute to play in Johnson, but leaning back, the striker fired over.
Charlie Savage joined Weir in the referee's notebook, in the twenty-first minute, as he was shown the yellow card for a foul on Charlie Lakin.
The Saddlers continued to press, with Adomah picking out Johnson with a pass into the space, in the twenty-fourth minute, but the strikers effort from distance sailed over the crossbar.
The hosts went on to win a corner two minutes later, as Andre Garcia turned the ball behind. The ball in from Weir almost found the target, with Button getting just enough of a touch to turn it wide, with the resultant flag-kick coming to nothing as Johnson fired high and wide of the target.
Walsall should have opened the scoring in the thirty-second minute, as Hall played the ball to Earing inside the six yard box, with the Reading defences doing well to scramble it off the line, before it was worked back out to Lakin, who fired wide.
The hosts continued to cause Reading problems, winning a free-kick in the thirty-fifth minute, which Weir delivered into the box, but Johnson was unable to get a telling touch on it to turn it home.
Reading won a corner in the thirty-eighth minute, as Donervon Daniels turned the ball out of play, but the Walsall defences were able to clear the danger before the visitors could get a shot away.
Things settled a little during the final few minutes of the half, with little action of note until Earing picked out Hall with a cross into the box in the forty-fourth minute, but Button was alert to the danger and saved the midfielders headed effort goal-wards, moments before the referee called time on the first-half, sending the sides back to their respective dressing rooms with the scores still tied.
Reading opted to make a change to their line-up as the sides returned, with Charlie Savage sitting out the second-half, as Charlie Wellens took his place.
The visiting side saw plenty of the ball early in the second-half, though much of their play was confined to the midfield area by a disciplined Walsall defence.
With fifty-six minutes on the clock, Reading chose to make their second change of the evening, with Michael Craig making way for Jack Senga-Ngoyi.
The visiting side won a corner in the fifty-seventh minute, as Oisin McEntee put the ball out of play to deny Wareham, but the Saddlers defended well and nothing would come of the set-piece.
Reading were reduced to ten men in the fifty-eighth minute, as goalkeeper, David Button was shown the red card for a foul on Hall. The visiting side then forced to make another change to their line-up, with Mamadi Camara making way for replacement 'keeper, Tom Norcott.
Walsall also took the opportunity to introduce some fresh legs, with Taylor Allen and George Hall departing in favour of Liam Gordon and Nathan Lowe.
The resulting free-kick, was fired goal-wards by Weir, but his low strike sailed wide of the near post.
Things settled again as the game continued, with both sides seeing spells with the ball without troubling their opposition defences, until Tyler Sackey fired wide from close range in the sixty-eighth minute.
Ashqar Ahmed joined those playing on a caution, in the seventy-first minute, as he was cautioned following a foul on Weir.
Adomah went close for the Saddlers from the resulting free-kick, but after Norcott stopped his initial effort, he fired wide.
With seventy-two minutes on the clock, Reading took the lead, as Hornby failed to gather a long ball into the box, allowing Sackey to fire home from close range.
Reading were reduced to nine men in the seventy-fifth minute, as Ashqar Ahmed was shown a second yellow card, following a foul on Lowe, and was dismissed from the contest.
Walsall chose to make a double change to their line-up, in the seventy-seventh minute, with Rico Browne and Charlie Lakin making way for Connor Barrett and Reyes Cleary.
Cleary was quick to get involved in the action, and could have levelled the scores in the eighty-first minute, as the ball fell kindly for him following a corner, but his curling effort sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
Reading opted to make their final change of the evening moments later, with Andre Garcia being replaced by Abraham Kanu for the run in.
The Saddlers should have levelled the scores in the eighty-third minute, as Adomah delivered a low cross into the box for McEntee, but Norcott was alert to the danger and pulled off a fine save to deny him.
Walsall went close again in the eighty-seventh minute, as an Adomah cross was headed clear, only as far as the edge of the area, where Lowe was waiting to fire home, but his low effort sailed narrowly wide of the target.
Jayden Wareham joined the players already listed in the referee's notebook, in the eighty-eighth minute, as he was cautioned for time-wasting.
Danny Johnson followed Wareham into the book just two minutes later, as he was shown the yellow card following a foul on the Reading goalkeeper.
Seven additional minutes were added to end the match, and it took six of those for Walsall to create a chance of real note, but when they did they restored parity; Cleary crossing the ball into the box for Lowe who headed on for Johnson, who fired home from close range.
That would prove to be the final action of note, with penalties following to decide the outcome.
Walsall went on to win the shoot-out by four-goals-to-two, as Hornby denied both Wareham and Wellens, whilst Adomah, Johnson, Daniels and Cleary all found the target for the Saddlers.
| JOHNSON (90+7') | SACKEY (72') |
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | STEVEN COPELAND |