Walsall were back on the road on Tuesday evening as they made the 165-mile trip to the SO Legal Stadium where they took on surprise tile-chasers Barrow.Walsall began the game brightly, with Isaac Hutchinson picking out Danny Johnson with a cross into the box just one minute into the contest, but the strikers early effort was well blocked by the Barrow defences.
Barrow were presented with a chance to open the scoring themselves moments later, as they were awarded a free-kick, which Dean Campbell played into the Walsall box, with the ball eventually falling to Ben Whitfield, who hooked his shot over the crossbar.
The hosts continued to press, and went close again in the seventh minute, as Elliot Newby cut the ball back for Whitfield, whose low strike was well saved by Walsall shot-stopper, Owen Evans, who did well to get down to the ball.
With eleven minutes on the clock, Barrow found the breakthrough, as Niall Canavan played Whitfield through on goal with a delightful long ball, with the striker breaking away from his man before picking out the bottom corner with a powerful strike.
Things settled a little as the match continued, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball without creating anything to trouble their opposition defences.
Donervon Daniels became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Emile Acquah, in the twenty-fifth minute.
Walsall thought they had levelled the scores in the twenty-eighth minute, as Hutchinson fired a powerful strike in on goal, forcing Barrow shot-stopper, Paul Farman to make a save, with the ball falling to Freddie Draper who fired home, only to see the flag raised and the goal disallowed due to infringement of the offside rule.
There was a halt to proceedings in the thirty-first minute, allowing Owen Evans to receive treatment. It was soon determined that the Walsall 'keeper would be unable to continue, and Jackson Smith was brought on in his place.
Emile Acquah became the second player to see yellow, as he was cautioned for a foul on Daniels, in the forty-fourth minute.
Five additional minutes were added to end the first-half, but there was little further action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments, with Barrow leading by one-goal-to-nil at the break.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and Walsall got the action back underway. Barrow began the second-half brightly, winning a corner just one minute in, as Priestley Farquharson was forced to turn the ball out of play to deny Whitfield a second goal, but nothing would come of the flag-kick as the Saddlers defences stood firm.
Things settled a little as the game continued, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball, but the hosts went close again in the fifty-third minute, as the side won a corner, which was swung into the area by James Chester for George Ray, who saw his headed effort blocked, before Newby crossed the ball back to him before he in turn passed to Chester, whose shot on goal missed the target.
Priestley Farquharson joined those listed in the referee's notebook, as he was cautioned for a foul on Acquah in the fifty-fourth minute.
Walsall opted to make a double substitution in the fifty-sixth minute, with Danny Johnson and Freddie Draper making way for Douglas James-Taylor and Jamille Matt.
With sixty-one minutes played, Barrow chose to make their first changes of the evening, with Emile Acquah and Kian Spence making way for Jamie Proctor and Sam Foley.
The game settled as it continued, with both sides seeing plenty of the ball, without creating anything of note to really test their opposition defences, though Walsall did win their first corner of the contest in the sixty-sixth minute, as Tom White turned the ball out of play, but nothing would come of the flag-kick.
Twenty minutes from time, Barrow doubled their advantage, as Ray and Canavan combined to see the latter slot the ball past Smith from close range.
Walsall chose to make their fourth change of the evening in the seventy-third minute, with Priestley Farquharson making way for Harry Williams.
Fifteen minutes from time, Barrow opted to make another double substitution, with Ben Whitfield and David Worrall departing, in favour of Dom Telford and Luca Stephenson.
Walsall continued to struggle to find the target as the game continued, with Tom Knowles crossing the ball in for Liam Gordon in the seventy-ninth minute, with the defender seeing a scuffed effort blocked, before the ball fell to Ryan Stirk, who fired high and wide.
The Saddlers continued to enjoy a decent spell, with Knowles again crossing the ball into the area in the eighty-second minute, where it was picked up by Matt, but the Barrow shot-stopper was alert to the danger and got down well to make the save.
Barrow opted to make a fifth change to their line-up in the eighty-third minute, with Elliot Newby making way for Rory Feely.
Matt drew another save from Farman in the eighty-fourth minute, as he connected with another Knowles cross and fired goal-wards. The resulting corner saw Comley fire wide.
The hosts looked to ensure they would take all three points from the contest in the eighty-seventh minute, but Proctor was unable to find the target from the edge of the area, sending the ball high and wide.
Five additional minutes were added to end the game, but there was little further action of note and the referee brought the contest to an end with Barrow winning by two-goals-to-nil.
A poor performance from the Saddlers, who struggled to really get going for much of the match.
| WHITFIELD (11') CANAVAN (70') |
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| AT | SO LEGAL STADIUM |
| REFEREE | LEWIS SMITH |