Tuesday evening saw Walsall make their way to the EV Charger Points Stadium, where they were due to take on Cheltenham Town in their rearranged League Two clash.Walsall began the match brightly, taking just fifty seconds to open the scoring, as a long throw from Jamie Jellis was headed goalwards by Oisin McEntee, whose effort was cleared by Cheltenham 'keeper, Joe Day into the path of Ellis Harrison, who poked home from close range.
The hosts looked to respond quickly to falling a goal behind, but Matty Taylor was unable to turn Darragh Power's cross in home, sending the ball narrowly wide of the upright.
Cheltenham continued to press, winning a free-kick in a promising position in the sixth minute, but Luke Young's ball in was cleared, only as far as Taylor who fired over.
Things settled a little as the game continued, but David Okagbue became the first player to see yellow, just eleven minutes into the contest, as he was cautioned following a foul on Ashley Hay. Ethan Williams stepped forth to take the resulting free-kick, but his effort was easily saved by Walsall shot-stopper, Tommy Simkin.
Walsall saw plenty of the ball as the game continued, but were unable to create much to further test the Cheltenham defences. The hosts, however, did create space to shoot, in the twentieth minute, but Ethon Archer's effort failed to test Simkin, sailing high over the crossbar.
Town went on to win a free-kick, three minutes later, but whilst he was able to beat the wall, Young was unable to get the ball past Simkin, who made an easy save.
Cheltenham felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the thirty-seventh minute, as Williams went down inside the area under a challenge from Connor Barrett, but the referee was unmoved by their appeals and waved play on.
Walsall created a chance to double their lead in the forty-second minute, as Ryan Stirk and Allen combined to play in Jamille Matt, but the strikers headed effort sailed wide of the target.
The hosts were quick to work the ball back up to the other end, where they won a corner, but it would come to nothing as Young's effort sailed wide.
One additional minute was added to end the first-half, during which time the Saddlers won a free-kick in a promising position, with Jellis' ball in towards the far post being met by McEntee, but the defender's headed effort sailed wide.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the teams headed back to their dressing rooms with Walsall leading by one-goal-to-nil at the break.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and play got back underway. Cheltenham began the second-half brightly, winning a corner just one minute after the restart, but nothing would come of it as the Saddlers defences stood firm.
The teams took a little while to settle back into the game, but ten minutes into the second-half, Walsall won a corner, from which McEntee knocked the ball down for Barrett, but the midfielder sent his effort over the bar.
Cheltenham chose to make their first changes of the evening, in the fifty-eighth minute, with Matty Taylor and Darragh Power making way for Jordan Thomas and Timothée Dieng.
Walsall won another corner, in the sixty-second minute, but it would come to nothing, as Jellis' ball in eluded everyone.
The hosts won a free-kick in a promising position, in the sixty-seventh minute, as Jellis fouled Thomas; Williams swung the ball into the box from the set-piece for Bradbury, but the defenders headed effort sailed wide.
The Saddlers opted to make a double change to their line-up, in the sixty-seventh minute, as Jamille Matt and Ellis Harrison made way for Levi Amantchi and Albert Adomah.
Cheltenham saw plenty of the ball as the game continued, but were continually frustrated by the Saddlers defences who stood firm as their hosts sought to draw back on level terms.
Walsall won a corner in the seventy-sixth minute, from which Jellis curled the ball towards the back post, where Barrett was waiting to head goal-wards, but his effort fell inches wide of the target.
The Saddlers had more luck in the seventy-ninth minute, as a mistake from Sam Stubbs gifted the ball to Adomah, who found himself through on goal with just the 'keeper to beat; the winger making no mistake as he rounded Day and slotted home into an empty net.
Cheltenham opted to make their final three changes of the match, in the eighty-third minute, with Ashley Hay, Valintino Adedokun and Luke Young departing, as their places were filled by George Miller, Ibrahim Bakare and Liam Dulson.
The hosts went close to pulling a goal back, moments after the changes were completed, as the ball was played in towards the back post for Thomas, who headed goal-wards, but Simkin was alert to the danger and made a fine save to keep the ball out.
Town went close again, in the eighty-ninth minute, as Thomas headed the ball on for Dulson, but the recently introduced man fired wide from close range.
Four additional minutes were added to end the match, and moments into them, the hosts did pull a goal back, as a Thomas strike from distance was deflected into the path of former Saddler, Miller, whose low shot found the bottom corner.
Tommy Simkin picked up the games second yellow card, in the ninety-first minute, as he was cautioned for dissent.
Cheltenham levelled the scores three minutes into those added, as Miller turned provider, crossing the ball to Thomas, who fired home with the help of a deflection.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the game was brought to its conclusion with the sides taking one-point-apiece from the encounter. A scrappy final few minutes from the Saddlers, who had appeared to have things sewn up as we reached the ninetieth minute.
| MILLER (90') THOMAS (90+3') |
HARRISON (1') ADOMAH (79') |
| AT | EV CHARGER POINTS STADIUM |
| REFEREE | MICHAEL BARLOW |
