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Walsall were back in League Two action on Saturday afternoon as they welcomed Chesterfield to the Poundland Bescot Stadium.Walsall began the game brightly, seeing much of the ball in the early goings, and winning the first corner of the afternoon just five minutes into the contest, as Tyrone Williams turned the ball out of play, though nothing would come of the flag-kick.
Chesterfield won a flag-kick at the other end just three minutes later, as Jamie Jellis put the ball behind. Jack Sparkes played the corner short for Dylan Duffy who crossed towards the back post, where an unmarked Jamie Grimes was waiting to head his side into an early lead.
Things settled after the goal, with both sides enjoying spells with the ball, without creating anything to trouble their opposition defences.
Seventeen minutes in, Chesterfield could have doubled their advantage as Armando Dobra looked to capitalise on a loose pass from Ryan Stirk, but Harry Williams was alert to the danger and got in a last gasp block to keep the ball out.
There was a brief halt to proceedings after that, allowing Williams to a moment to recover, but he was soon back on his feet and able to continue.
The visiting side continued to seek further goals as the game continued, with the ball being played out to Aribim Pepple, in the twenty-third minute, but the strikers effort on goal, from the edge of the area, was easily saved by Walsall shot-stopper, Tommy Simkin.
Chesterfield looked to have found their way through, in the twenty-sixth minute, as Duffy crossed the ball towards the near post for Pepple, but the forward failed to find the target, sending his effort wide of the upright from less than five yards out.
As we reached the half hour mark, Walsall were awarded a free-kick, from which Jellis looked to curl an effort home, but the ball sailed inches wide of the upright. Better from the Saddlers though.
Max Thompson became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned in the thirty-first minute for time-wasting.
Harry Williams joined Thompson in the referee's notebook, in the thirty-seventh minute, as he was shown the yellow card for a foul on Pepple.
Walsall felt they should have been awarded a penalty, five minutes before the break, as Ellis Harrison went down inside the box, but the officials were unmoved by their appeals, and the referee waved play on.
Chesterfield were presented with another chance to add to their tally, in the forty-third minute, as Taylor Allen lost the ball to Pepple, who played in Duffy, but Williams was on hand once more to keep the ball out with another last gasp block.
There was another break in play following that, as referee, Sunny Singh Gill pulled his hamstring and fourth official, Karl Buckley, had to take his place.
Play eventually got back underway, and after a short spell of added time, the new referee called time on the first-half, with Chesterfield leading by one-goal-to-nil at the break.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and play resumed, though only very briefly, as an injury to Harry Williams brought play to a halt just one minute after the restart, and it was soon determined that he would be unable to play any further part, and Oisin McEntee was sent on to take his place.
Walsall won a corner in the fifty-second minute, as Grimes turned the ball behind. Allen swung the ball into the area for David Okagbue, who brought the ball down for Jamille Matt, who turned home to level the scores.
Just three minutes later, the Saddlers took the lead, as Sparkes turned the ball out of play gifting the hosts another flag-kick, which Allen swung in towards the back post, where MK Dons loanee, Harrison was waiting to head home his first Walsall goal.
Armando Dobra saw his name taken by the referee, in the fifty-fifth minute, as he was cautioned for dissent.
Walsall could have added a third to their tally just two minutes after the second went in, as Ellis played Liam Gordon through on goal, but Michael Olakigbe got back to block, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
There was another pause in proceedings, in the fifty-eighth minute, allowing Simkin to receive attention from the Walsall medical team, but he was soon back on his feet and able to continue.
Things settled as play continued, with Chesterfield seeing much of the ball, but struggling to break through the Walsall defences.
Fourteen minutes from time, both sides chose to make changes, with Charlie Lakin, Ellis Harrison and Jamille Matt making way for the Saddlers, as Brandon Comley, Albert Adomah and Levi Amantchi all took to the field, whilst Aribim Pepple and Dylan Duffy departed in favour of Paddy Madden and Ryan Colclough for the visitors.
Jamie Jellis was shown the yellow card, in the seventy-eighth minute, as he was cautioned following a foul on Dobra.
Chesterfield continued to see much of the ball as the game continued, though they remained unable to breakthrough the Walsall defences.
The visitors chose to make two further changes to their line-up, in the eighty-fourth minute, with Tom Naylor and Darren Oldaker making way for Jenson Metcalfe and Ollie Banks, as the side looked to take something from the game.
The Spireites chose to make their fifth and final change of the afternoon, in the eighty-ninth minute, as they continued to struggle against the Saddlers defences, with Michael Olakigbe departing in favour of Liam Mandeville.
Ten additional minutes were added to end the match, during which time, Walsall were forced to make another substitution, as Connor Barrett picked up an injury; the hosts bringing on Evan Weir in his place.
Walsall won a corner, four minutes into those added, as Metcalfe put the ball out of play, but nothing would come of the flag-kick, as Thompson beat everyone to Allen's ball in.
There was little further action of note, as Chesterfield continued to be allowed much time on the ball, only to be thwarted by the hosts defences at every opportunity, until, eleven minutes into added time, Walsall added a third; Weir crossing the ball into the area for Amantchi, who fired home from the centre of the box.
The game was then brought to its conclusion with Walsall winning by three-goals-to-one, after a much improved second-half performance.
| MATT (52') HARRISON (55') AMANTCHI (90+11') |
GRIMES (8') |
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | SUNNY SINGH GILL |
