The Saddlers returned to League One action on Saturday afternoon as they took on Peterborough United at Banks's Stadium. We were in attendance and you can read our match report below.
Former Posh midfielder Erhun Oztumer got the match underway, but it was the visitors who saw the best of the early action; Jack Marriott forcing a corner five minutes in, working his way into the box before seeing his effort on goal blocked by Luke Leahy. The Saddlers were able to deal with the danger from the corner and broke with the ball, before winning a corner of their own, which Joe Edwards played in for Florent Cuvelier who volleyed wide. A good start to the game from both sides.
Ten minutes in, a superb twenty five yard effort should have put the Saddlers ahead, but Oztumer's shot cannoned off the bar. A huge let off for the midfielders former employers. Peterborough soon saw another chance of their own, winning a free-kick twenty five yards out in the eleventh minute, which was fired goal-wards by Ricky Miller, taking a deflection en-route which turned it behind. Marcus Maddison swung the ball into the box from the resulting corner, where Ryan Tefazolli met it, but the defenders headed effort sailed harmlessly wide.
The early pace slowed as both teams settled into the game, becoming something of a midfield battle, with neither side really able to get the ball forward. In the nineteenth minute, Marriott almost created something for his side, picking up a loose ball and firing goal-wards, but his effort sailed over the bar without troubling Mark Gillespie in the Walsall goal. Three minutes later, the Saddlers also saw a chance go begging, as a Leahy cross from the left found the head of Edwards who headed wide from twelve yards.
In the twenty fourth minute, the visitors won another corner, which was played into the box by Maddison, where it was met by the head of Steven Taylor, whose effort cleared the crossbar.
With twenty six minutes on the clock, Walsall captain, Adam Chambers, picked up the first booking of the game, receiving a yellow card for a foul on Maddison. Three minutes later, Anthony Grant joined him in the referee's notebook, picking up a caution for a foul on Cuvelier.
The Saddlers continued to defend well as the match continued, denying their counterparts space, but with little forward momentum of their own on display, until thirty six minutes in, Tyler Roberts saw a right-footed strike deflected behind. Posh defended the corner well, but gave away another set-piece, turning the ball behind. The visitors failed to deal with the second corner, with Jonathon Bond pushing the initial Leahy effort away, allowing Oztumer to fire the rebound emphatically into the roof of the net to put his side ahead.
One additional minute was awarded at the end of the first half, but neither side were able to create any further chances of note and Walsall took a one goal lead into the break.
Ten minutes in, a superb twenty five yard effort should have put the Saddlers ahead, but Oztumer's shot cannoned off the bar. A huge let off for the midfielders former employers. Peterborough soon saw another chance of their own, winning a free-kick twenty five yards out in the eleventh minute, which was fired goal-wards by Ricky Miller, taking a deflection en-route which turned it behind. Marcus Maddison swung the ball into the box from the resulting corner, where Ryan Tefazolli met it, but the defenders headed effort sailed harmlessly wide.
The early pace slowed as both teams settled into the game, becoming something of a midfield battle, with neither side really able to get the ball forward. In the nineteenth minute, Marriott almost created something for his side, picking up a loose ball and firing goal-wards, but his effort sailed over the bar without troubling Mark Gillespie in the Walsall goal. Three minutes later, the Saddlers also saw a chance go begging, as a Leahy cross from the left found the head of Edwards who headed wide from twelve yards.
In the twenty fourth minute, the visitors won another corner, which was played into the box by Maddison, where it was met by the head of Steven Taylor, whose effort cleared the crossbar.
With twenty six minutes on the clock, Walsall captain, Adam Chambers, picked up the first booking of the game, receiving a yellow card for a foul on Maddison. Three minutes later, Anthony Grant joined him in the referee's notebook, picking up a caution for a foul on Cuvelier.
The Saddlers continued to defend well as the match continued, denying their counterparts space, but with little forward momentum of their own on display, until thirty six minutes in, Tyler Roberts saw a right-footed strike deflected behind. Posh defended the corner well, but gave away another set-piece, turning the ball behind. The visitors failed to deal with the second corner, with Jonathon Bond pushing the initial Leahy effort away, allowing Oztumer to fire the rebound emphatically into the roof of the net to put his side ahead.
One additional minute was awarded at the end of the first half, but neither side were able to create any further chances of note and Walsall took a one goal lead into the break.
LEAGUE ONE | HT
WALSALL 1 PETERBOROUGH 0
Peterborough made two changes to their line-up for the second half, taking off Anthony Grant and Leonardo Da Silva Lopes in favour of Christopher Forrester and Liam Shephard, before getting the game back underway. The visitors started the half brightly as they looked to respond to the Saddlers first half goal, but an early move from Maddison saw Gwion Edwards caught offside, though Gillespie was equal to the effort in any event.
Posh continued to play well as the half continued, but the Saddlers almost doubled their advantage fifty four minutes in, when Edwards picked out Shaun Donnellan at the near post from a corner, but the defender's headed effort clipped the inside of the post before the Peterborough defences scrambled the ball clear. So close from the Saddlers, who really should be two goals to the good.
With fifty eight minutes on the clock, Gwion Edwards picked up a yellow card for foul. As we reached the hour mark, Cuvelier found himself in space on the edge of the box, but his goal-ward effort was easily claimed by Bond in the Posh goal. Moments later, back at the other end, Marriott saw a chance missed, flashing a powerful shot across the face of goal, but the resulting corner was easily dealt with by the Walsall defences.
In the sixty sixth minute, the visiting bench opted to introduce their final substitute into the match, replacing Ricky Miller with Junior Morias. Moments later, the Saddlers made their first change of the game, introducing Amadou Bakayoko in place of Tyler Roberts for the final twenty minutes.
With eighteen minutes of the game remaining, Gwion Edwards brought his side level, volleying a cross from Forrester into the ground, but the ball bounced and found the top corner. Little Gillespie could have done to keep his sides lead intact.
The Saddlers bench reacted to the Post goal by making their second change of the afternoon, bringing on Kieron Morris in place of Florent Cuvelier in the seventy fifth minute.
With seventy nine minutes on the clock, the visitors thought they had taken the lead when Morais had the ball in the back of the net, but the linesman had spotted an offside infringement and after a brief confusion over the flag being raised then lowered, the goal was disallowed.
Buoyed by their disallowed goal, Posh continued to search for a second goal, but Gillespie was alert and blocked an eighty second minute Andrew Hughes shot with his chest.
Walsall made their final change with eight minutes left to play, replacing Erhun Oztumer with Zeli Ismail.
Both sides continued to search for a late winner, but to no avail and after four additional minutes were played, during which Bond was called into action to deny Ismail whose fabulous run into the box culminated in a shot straight at the waiting 'keeper, the referee called time with both sides taking a point apiece. A fair result on balance, and a good point for the Saddlers who are only the second side this season to score first against today's opponents.
LEAGUE ONE | FT
WALSALL 1 PETERBOROUGH 1
Oztumer (38') - G.Edwards (72')ATT | 4,453
REF | Seb Stockbridge