Walsall were back in action on Tuesday evening as they welcomed Crawley Town to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, where the Saddlers were hoping to steady the ship and return to winning ways.Walsall got the action underway. Both sides enjoyed some early spells of possession, but neither were able to create anything that would trouble their opposition defences, in the early goings.
Charlie Barker became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Daniel Kanu, just six minutes into the contest.
Crawley won a corner, in the ninth minute, as Courtney Clarke turned the ball behind. The initial ball in was cleared, but only as far as Taylor Richards who played it back in for Barker, whose header goal-wards was well saved by Walsall shot-stopper, Myles Roberts.
Things settled a little as play continued, but fourteen minutes in, the visiting side went close as Johnny Russell crossed the ball in for Kellan Gordon, whose effort on goal was blocked, before Josh Flint played the ball in for Richards, whose shot from the centre of the box sailed high and wide of the target.
Walsall won a corner, in the twenty-fourth minute, as Barker turned the ball behind. Mason Hancock crossed the ball in towards the far post from the flag-kick, but Aden Flint was unable to find the target with his headed effort.
The Saddlers continued to enjoy a brighter spell, with Rico Richards setting up Clarke, in the twenty-seventh minute, but the midfielder was unable to find the target, firing high over the bar from twenty-five yards out.
Crawley soon had the ball back at the other end, with a Richards strike being blocked behind by Evan Weir, with another corner following as the ball went out of play off Jamille Matt, but nothing would come of that either.
Max Anderson became the second player to see yellow, as he was cautioned for a foul, in the thirty-second minute.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle as it continued, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball, without creating anything of note.
There was a brief halt to proceedings, in the forty-second minute, allowing Gordon time to recover following a foul by Weir. The resulting free-kick came to nothing, though did produce another foul, this time on Barker, for which Jamille Matt joined those in the referee's notebook, as he was shown the yellow card.
Two additional minutes were added to end the first-half, during which time, Crawley felt they should have been awarded a penalty, as Jay Williams went down inside the area, but the referee was unmoved by their appeals, and waved play on.
The visitors won a final free-kick, moments before the break, but they were unable to make use of it, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments with the scores still tied.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and Crawley got the action back underway. The visiting side began the second-half brightly, with Ronan Darcy seeing an effort from outside the box blocked, just three minutes after the restart.
Walsall saw a great chance to open the scoring go beginning, in the forty-ninth minute, as the ball was played into the box by Clarke, and played on by Matt, for Kanu, who looked to poke home from close range, only to see Town 'keeper, Jacob Chapman collect.
Josh Flint joined those already playing on a caution, in the fifty-fourth minute, as he shown the yellow card following a foul on Kanu.
Walsall chose to make their first change of the evening, in the fifty-sixth minute, with Jamille Matt making way for Aaron Loupalo-Bi.
Just two minutes after the Walsall change was completed, Crawley opted to make three substitutions, with Charlie Barker, Max Anderson and Johnny Russell all departing, as Akin Odimayo, Geraldo Bajrami and Lewis Richards joined the fray.
Town won a corner, in the fifty-ninth minute, as Clarke turned the ball behind, though they were unable to make use of it as Williams headed over from close range. The visiting side continued to press, with Darcy crossing the ball in for Taylor Richards, moments later, though he was unable to find the target as Roberts made the save.
Mason Hancock saw his name added to the referee's notebook, as he was shown the yellow card following a foul on Williams.
Kellan Gordon soon joined Hancock playing on a caution, as the yellow card was brandished in his direction, in the sixty-third minute, following a foul on Kanu.
Crawley continued to test the Saddlers defences as the game continued, going close in the sixty-seventh minute, as Danilo Orsi saw an effort blocked, moments before Darcy drew a save from Roberts, which resulted in a corner for the visitors, though ultimately, nothing would come of it.
The hosts were quick to work the ball up to the other end, where Alex Pattison played the ball to Kanu, who fired goal-wards from outside the box, but failed to find the target, sending his effort wide of the target.
There was a pause in play in the sixty-ninth minute, allowing Roberts to receive some attention from the Walsall medical team. He was soon up and fine to continue, but whilst he was down, Crawley took the opportunity to make another change to their line-up, with Ronan Darcy making way for Harry McKirdy.
Town continued to test the Walsall defences once play resumed, with Williams drawing a save from Roberts in the seventy-third minute, moments before McKirdy crossed the ball into the box for Theo Vassell, whose header goal-wards also drew a stop from the man between the sticks, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
The Saddlers opted to make a triple substitution, in the seventy-fourth minute, with Alex Pattison, Mason Hancock and Rico Richards all departing, as Jamie Jellis, Connor Barrett and Charlie Lakin filled their spots.
Crawley went close again, in the seventy-sixth minute, as Richards fired goal-wards, but Aden Flint was on hand to block, and the resulting corner was turned behind by Gordon.
Things settled after that, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball, but finding themselves unable to find a way through on goal.
Akin Odimayo became the fifth Crawley player to be shown the yellow card, in the eighty-seventh minute, as he was cautioned for a foul on Loupalo-Bi.
Courtney Clarke saw his name taken by the referee too, just two minutes later, as a foul on Taylor brought out the card.
Seven minutes were added to end the match, during which time, Walsall won a free-kick in a promising position, though nothing would come of it, as Weir's ball into the box was turned wide by a teammate.
Four minutes into those added, Crawley opted to make their final change of the evening, with Taylor Richards making way for Dion Pereira.
Crawley created one last chance to win the match late on, as Orsi crossed the ball into the area for McKirdy, but Aden Flint was on hand for the Saddlers to clear the ball off the line.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the game was brought to its conclusion with the scores unchanged.
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | SCOTT OLDHAM |