Table-topping Walsall welcomed third-placed Doncaster Rovers to the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Boxing Day as they looked to make it a remarkable twelve league games without defeat.Walsall began the game brightly, with Taylor Allen seeing an effort blocked just two minutes into the contest, moments before Nathan Lowe fired high and wide of the target.
Things settled a little after that, but six minutes in, Doncaster were presented with an early chance to open the scoring, as a loose pass from Liam Gordon was capitalised on by the visitors, with Billy Sharp played through on goal, but he was caught in an offside position.
Brandon Fleming picked up the first yellow card of the contest in the eleventh minute, as he was cautioned following a foul on Connor Barrett.
Doncaster continued to enjoy a good spell, with Sharp drawing a good save from Walsall shot-stopper, Tommy Simkin, in the fourteenth minute, though the flag was eventually raised to indicate an infringement of the offside rule, so any goal would not have stood.
Things settled a little again as the game continued, with both sides seeing plenty of the ball, without creating much to trouble their opposition defences.
Twenty-four minutes in, Walsall went close to opening the scoring, as a long throw from Harry Williams found Lowe, but the strikers effort on goal was well blocked by a Rovers defender.
The hosts continued to enjoy a bright spell, going close again in the twenty-eighth minute, as Charlie Lakin got on the end of a Jamille Matt ball over the top and played it across the box for Lowe, but the striker was just unable to get a foot to the ball to turn it home.
Walsall won a corner in the thirty-fourth minute as Patrick Kelly turned the ball behind. It was played short but after some patient play to get the ball into the box, the visitors cleared the danger.
At the other end, Doncaster went close to opening the scoring themselves, as Owen Bailey played the ball in for Luke Molyneux, but his effort from a tight angle on the edge of the area sailed wide of the upright.
The visiting side continued to press, with Kelly firing an effort in from outside the area, five minutes before the break, but his shot sailed high over Simkin's crossbar, without troubling the 'keeper.
One additional minute was 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 the scores still tied.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and the action got back underway. Walsall began the second-half brightly, and after some patient build-up play to get the ball into the box, Barrett succeeded, picking out Lowe, who fired a low effort into the bottom corner to put his side ahead just two minutes after the restart.
Walsall continued to seek goals as play continued, with Ryan Stirk crossing the ball to Gordon, in the fifty-first minute, but the midfielders effort from outside the area was blocked.
Doncaster should probably have levelled the scores in the fifty-fifth minute, as Joshua Emmanuel played a high ball in towards the back post for Sharp, but Stirk got his body in the way, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
Connor Barrett joined Fleming in the referee's notebook, in the fifty-ninth minute, as he was cautioned following a foul.
The Saddlers were quick to win the ball back through Lowe and work it into shooting range, he played it out to Gordon who in turn passed it back to the Stoke City loanee, whose effort on goal sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
The hosts continued to test the Doncaster defences as the game continued, with Allen launching a superb run forwards in the sixty-seventh minute, working his way into the box before firing an effort in which flashed inches wide of the upright.
Walsall went close again twenty minutes from time, as Barrett picked up a loose ball just inside the Saddlers half, racing forwards before playing in Jamie Jellis, but Doncaster 'keeper, Teddy Sharman-Lowe was alert to the danger and pulled off a fine save to deny him, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
With seventy-three minutes on the clock, Doncaster chose to make a triple substitution, with Luke Molyneux, Patrick Kelly and Brandon Fleming making way for Kyle Hurst, Harry Clifton and Jack Senior.
Walsall should have doubled their advantage in the seventy-fifth minute, as a free-kick was swung in by Allen, for Williams, whose close range headed effort cannoned off the post.
Just four minutes later, the hosts were awarded another free-kick in a promising position as Emmanuel was penalised for a foul on Gordon. Jellis crossed the ball into the box this time, also finding the head of Williams, who didn't miss this time, heading home from the centre of the box to double his sides advantage.
Ten minutes from time, Rovers chose to make a fourth change to their line-up, with George Broadbent making way for Jordan Gibson.
Two minutes later, Walsall chose to make their first substitutions of the afternoon, as Jamie Jellis and Jamille Matt were replaced by Oisin McEntee and Albert Adomah.
Doncaster almost pulled a goal back in the eighty-fourth minute, having won a corner as David Okagbue turned the ball behind; Gibson crossed the ball in from the flag-kick for Joseph Olowu, whose headed effort from the centre of the box was well saved by Simkin, who did well to get to it, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
Liam Gordon joined those listed in the referee's notebook, in the eighty-eighth minute, as he was shown the yellow card for dissent.
Walsall chose to make a further change to their line-up, late on, with Charlie Lakin making way for Jack Earing in the ninetieth minute.
Four additional minutes were added to end the match, but there was little further action of note, and the referee called time on the contest with Walsall winning by two-goals-to-nil, seeing them go nine points clear at the top of the League Two table.
| LOWE (47') WILLIAMS (79') |
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| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | OLIVER MACKEY |