Walsall were back in action on Saturday afternoon as they welcomed Salford City to the Poundland Bescot Stadium, where the Saddlers were looking to bounce back from a duo of defeats.Salford saw much of the ball in the early goings, and it took just four minutes for them to take the lead as they made their time in possession pay, as Ryan Watson and Hakeeb Adelakun combined to work the ball into the box for Cole Stockton, who took a touch before firing past Walsall shot-stopper, Tommy Simkin.
There was a brief halt to proceedings, in the ninth minute, allowing Liam Shephard to receive attention from the Salford medical team. It was soon determined that he would be unable to continue, and Tom Edwards was introduced in his place.
Walsall looked to respond to falling a goal behind, going close in the twelfth minute, as Connor Barrett crossed the ball towards the back post for Ethan Wheatley, whose effort on goal cannoned off the post.
The Saddlers continued to enjoy a bright spell, going close again as we reached the quarter hour mark, as a scuffed clearance from a Walsall corner fell kindly for Taylor Allen, whose powerful strike sailed inches wide of the upright.
Salford looked to double their advantage in the nineteenth minute, with Haji Mnoga playing the ball over the top for Matthew Lund, but Harry Williams got across to make a vital interception.
Things settled a little as the game continued, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball, without creating much to trouble their opposition.
Walsall won a corner, thirty minutes into the contest, as a Charlie Lakin effort was blocked behind by Edwards, but nothing would come of the flag-kick.
The visitors had soon worked the ball into the danger zone at the other end, with Lewis Warrington crossing the ball to Lund, whose effort on goal, from outside the area, was saved by Simkin.
The game settled back into something of a midfield battle after that, with both sides continuing to enjoy spells on the ball, with little of note being created by either.
The Saddlers were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area following a handball by Lund, but Allen's strike was palmed clear by City shot-stopper, Jamie Jones, with the resulting corner coming to nothing as Allen fired wide.
Three additional minutes were added to end the first-half, during which time, Adelakun curled an effort narrowly wide for the visitors, before Simkin denied Edwards from a free-kick.
Haji Mnoga became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned in the final minute of the first-half, following a foul on Simkin.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments with Salford leading by one-goal-to-nil at the break.
Salford opted to make a second change to their line-up after the break, with Lewis Warrington sitting out the second-half, as Conor McAleny took his place, and Walsall got the action back underway.
Walsall began the second-half brightly, with Liam Gordon seeing an effort deflected behind just three minutes after the restart, though no corner followed, as the referee awarded a goal-kick.
The Saddlers did win a corner in the fifty-first minute though, as Jones tipped a Jellis free-kick from thirty yards out over the bar, with the resulting flag-kick coming to nothing as Allen fired wide.
The hosts were awarded another free-kick two minutes later, but nothing would come of that either, as Allen's goal-wards effort sailed over the crossbar.
Walsall opted to make their first change of the afternoon, in the fifty-seventh minute, with Manchester United loanee, Ethan Wheatley making way for recent arrival, and debutant, Levi Amantchi.
There was a brief pause in play, in the fifty-ninth minute, allowing Jones to receive attention from the City medical team, but he was soon back on his feet and play resumed.
Amantchi wasted little time getting involved in the action, latching on to a through ball, in the sixty-first minute, and forcing a save from Jones.
Salford were quick to work the ball up to the other end, with Stockton latching onto a cross from Edwards and flicking the ball towards the bottom corner, but Simkin was alert to the danger and got down to turn the ball behind, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
The Walsall bench opted to make a triple substitution, twenty minutes from time, with Charlie Lakin, Josh Gordon and Connor Barrett making way for Danny Johnson, Evan Weir and Albert Adomah.
Fifteen minutes from time, Salford added a second goal as they caught the Saddlers off-guard, with Lund slipping the ball through for Adelakun, who fired home into the bottom corner.
Liam Gordon became the second player to see yellow, as he was cautioned for dissent in the seventy-seventh minute.
Just one minute after that, the hosts pulled a goal back, as their substitutes paid dividends, as Weir floated the ball into the box for Johnson, who cushioned the ball down and prodded home with assistance from the post.
City opted to make two further changes to their line-up, in the seventy-eighth minute, with Cole Stockton and Rosaire Longelo departing in favour of Kylian Kouassi and Kevin Berkoe.
Curtis Tilt and Jamie Jellis both saw their names taken by the referee, in the eighty-second minute, as they were cautioned for dissent.
Walsall chose to make another substitution in the eighty-fifth minute, with Ryan Stirk making way for Oisin McEntee. Salford also took the opportunity to make their fifth change of the game, with Hakeeb Adelakun being replaced by Francis Okoronkwo.
The Saddlers won a corner in the eighty-seventh minute, as Negru turned the ball behind. Jellis' ball in from the flag-kick was met by Jones, whose punch clear eventually fell to Johnson, who headed home at the back post to level the scores.
There was another halt to proceedings in the eighty-ninth minute, allowing Tom Edwards to receive treatment from the medical team. It was soon determined that he would be unable to continue, and Jon Taylor was introduced in his place.
Seven additional minutes were added to end the match, but despite much prodding and probing from the Saddlers, there was little further action of note, although six minutes into those added, Oisin McEntee joined those already playing on a caution, as he was shown the yellow card for dissent.
The game was brought to its conclusion with the sides each taking one point from the contest, having scored two-goals-apiece. An improved display from the Saddlers, whose heads did not drop, though not the result they would really would have liked.
| JOHNSON (78') JOHNSON (87') |
STOCKTON (4') ADELAKUN (75') |
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | JAMES BELL |
