Earlier today, Walsall Football Club played host to Fleetwood Town in the latest Sky Bet League 1 fixture of the season. Blogger Scott Brotherton was in attendance and shares his match report below.
The game got off to a slow start with the first chance going to Fleetwood after 8 minutes. Jamie Proctor got the ball in area but blazed over on the turn.
The visitors were the busier side early on and put Saddlers penalty area under plenty of pressure. Striker David Ball showed quick feet to cut inside to the edge of the box but arced his shot over the crossbar.
Walsall got into the game and were getting to the penalty area more often, but seemed to run out of ideas in the end. Michael Cain summed things up by eventually taking a shot from 25 yards that was always bobbling wide.
Possession was changing all the time. Walsall kept doing well to win it back but would often go and waste the ball themselves, to the home fans' despair.
Gary Alexander's men are certainly capable of goals, and Gareth Evans hammered over with one of their few chances.
Tom Bradshaw was back in the Walsall eleven after a spell out with a hamstring injury, and he teed up Sawyers in a good position. However, the bravery of Tyler Hornby-Forbes prevented the shot on target as the 19-year-old came flying in to make an excellent block.
It has looked over recent weeks that the Saddlers would need a healthy dose of luck to score, and they very nearly got it. A clearance was smashed against an opportunistic Bradshaw and the ball could have gone anywhere. Goalkeeper Chris Maxwell was happy to see it spin harmlessly into the box so he could gather.
The Walsall radar was well off though. Adam Chambers long range effort swerved well off target, and Cain sliced a volley horribly wide from 18 yards.
Unfortunately the match had a familiar feel. There was plenty of possession for the Saddlers but nothing in the final third.
Promising winger Kieron Morris gave Maxwell something to think about though - he turned inside and out before the keeper had to beat away a powerful strike towards his near post.
From the resulting corner Bradshaw found his body in an awkward position and so could only prod the ball wide, but there were glimpses of a threat at the end of the half.
HT: WALSALL 0 FLEETWOOD TOWN 0
Dean Smith's side had a great start to the second half, putting on a lot of pressure and winning two early corners.
A rare attack from the Cod Army was stemmed and led to a breakaway through Jordan Cook. He squared to Morris whose first-time effort was deflected out for a corner.
James O'Connor then saw space down the middle and his eyes lit up. It was certainly a centre-half's finish though, rising high into the away stand from a long way out.
Most of the play was taking place in Fleetwood's half now - the play-off chasers had dropped unbelievably deep.
Bradshaw found a little room after Sawyers' pass, but the striker was forced out wide and that made his low drive simple for Maxwell.
Evans drilled one just wide and it looked as though Richard O'Donnell was unsighted, but he still didn't need to make a save as Fleetwood weren't offering much.
It remained one-way traffic into the final stages, but so far The Cod Army were shutting out the Saddlers.
Adam Chambers' vicious blast from outside the area arrowed narrowly over the far corner of the goal as Walsall weren't really getting much closer.
But then finally, FINALLY, the back of the net was bulging!
And it could only be one man. Cain pinged a pass into the feet of Bradshaw, and he provided that bit of magic the Saddlers were craving.
Before the defence could react he span to find space and then buried the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner.
It sent a wave of relief through the Banks's Stadium and, with only four minutes of normal time left, Fleetwood had a mountain to climb if they were to get anything.
Things got a bit nervy in added time but an impressive Walsall defence held firm.
The team has now passed the magical 50-point mark - and are surely only another win from certain safety.
FT: WALSALL 1 FLEETWOOD TOWN 0
GOAL: Tom BRADSHAW (86')
By: Scott Brotherton.