Walsall were back in action on Wednesday evening as they made their way to Sixfields Stadium and took on Northampton Town in the Vertu Trophy, Round of 16.Northampton began the game brightly, winning the first corner of the evening just one into the contest, as Harrison Burke turned the ball out of play, though nothing would come of the early flag-kick.
Walsall grew into the contest quickly, and with just five minutes on the clock, they took the lead, as Lewis Warrington headed the ball on for Albert Adomah, who nodded home, into the bottom corner, from close range.
The hosts felt they should have been awarded a penalty, in the seventh minute, as a Jack Perkins effort was deflected behind by Warrington, but the referee was unmoved by their appeals, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
Northampton continued to press, with Perkins firing over the crossbar, shortly before Jack Vale, Kamarai Swyer and Sam Hoskins all saw efforts blocked by the Walsall defences. With Walsall shot-stopper, Sam Hornby, eventually alleviating the pressure as he denied Michael Jacobs with a diving save.
Things settled momentarily, but eighteen minutes in, Northampton levelled the scores, as Vale passed the ball to Swyer, who unleashed a powerful strike goal-wards, which connected with the inside of the post and nestled in the back of the net.
Mason Hancock became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Jack Burroughs, in the twenty-fourth minute.
There was a brief halt to proceedings, in the twenty-seventh minute, allowing Hancock to receive attention from the Walsall medics. Fortunately, he was soon back on his feet and able to continue.
Things settled as the game continued, with both sides enjoying spells with the ball, without creating much of note, although, a scramble in the box, in the twenty-ninth minute, did eventually see Joe Wormleighton fire a curling effort in on goal from some twenty yards out, but he was unable to find the target, as the shot sailed wide.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle after that, with little forward momentum for either side.
Three additional minutes were added to end the first-half, during which time, Northampton could have taken the lead, but Hornby was on hand to keep Jacobs' effort out, before a Dean Campbell strike was deflected behind by Rico Browne. The resulting corner would come to nothing, however, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments with the scores tied at one-goal-apiece.
Walsall chose to make a double change as the teams returned, with Alex Pattison and Jamille Matt sitting out the second-half, as Jake Hollman and Daniel Kanu joined the fray.
Northampton began the second-half brightly, with Hoskins picking up a loose ball and playing through Vale one-on-one, just three minutes after the restart, but Hornby was alert to the danger and made the save.
Town continued to press, winning a corner moments later, from which Swyer forced an own goal from Hornby, with the hosts going ahead as the ball rolled down the leg of the Walsall shot-stopper, and into his own net.
The home side sought to add further to their tally, going close again in the fifty-first minute, as Wormleighton crossed the ball in for Campbell, whose strike from the centre of the box was saved, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
Northampton thought they had added a third goal, in the fifty-fourth minute, as a corner kick was turned home, but a foul on Hornby in the build-up meant the goal would not stand.
Jake Hollman became the second player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Vale, in the fifty-fifth minute.
Walsall opted to make another change to their side, in the fifty-seventh minute, with Courtney Clarke making way for Jamie Jellis.
The hosts continued to seek opportunities to add to their tally, going close again in the fifty-ninth minute as Swyer played the ball to Hoskins, whose strike from outside the area sailed narrowly wide of the target.
With sixty-two minutes on the clock, Northampton were rewarded for their efforts, as Vale worked the ball upfield and into the box, before laying off to Hoskins, who tapped home from close range.
The Saddlers could have pulled a goal back moments later, as Jellis played in Kanu, but the strikers shot from a tight angle was well saved by Northampton 'keeper, Kee Burge.
The visiting side chose to make their final two changes of the evening, in the sixty-fourth minute, with Harrison Burke and Mason Hancock being withdrawn, as Priestley Farquharson and Vincent Harper joined the fray.
Northampton opted to make a quadruple substitution, twenty minutes from time, with Jack Vale, Kamarai Swyer, Jack Perkins and Max Dyche being replaced by Nesta Guinness-Walker, Kyle Edwards, Conor McCarthy and Tom Eaves.
Walsall pulled a goal back, fifteen minutes from time, as Rico Richards worked his way through the middle before feeding Kanu, who managed to find his way into the box before slotting home from the centre of the box, into the bottom corner.
Michael Jacobs joined those listed in the referee's notebook, in the seventy-ninth minute, as he was cautioned following a foul, which left Jake Hollman requiring attention from the medics, before he was stretchered off, leaving Walsall to play the final ten minutes with ten men.
The Saddlers won a corner in the eighty-sixth minute, as Hoskins turned the ball behind, another followed moments later as McCarthy put the ball back out of play, but nothing would come of that as the hosts cleared.
At the other end, the hosts won a free-kick in a promising position, as we reached the ninetieth minute, but nothing would come of the set-piece as Eaves headed Campbell's cross wide.
Eight additional minutes were added to end the match, and just one minute into them, Northampton were awarded a penalty, as Farquharson fouled Edwards inside the box. Eaves stepped forth to take the spot-kick, and duly converted, all but putting the game to bed.
There was little further action of note, and the game was brought to its conclusion with Northampton winning by four-goals-to-two to advance in the competition, whilst the Saddlers bowed out.
| SIMON-SWYER (18') HORNBY [OG] (48') HOSKINS (62') EAVES [P] (90+2') |
ADOMAH (5') KANU (62') |
| AT | SIXFIELDS STADIUM |
| REFEREE | ABIGAIL BYRNE |