Wigan 0 Walsall 0 - Report and pictures
Walsall kept their unbeaten away record intact at Wigan Athletic but were unable to penetrate their 10-man opposition.
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With Latics skipper Craig Morgan shown red in the second period, the Saddlers were thwarted in their attempts to find an elusive winner.
Dean Smith's men were quickly out of the blocks and, backed by their vocal travelling support, forced the first save of the game.
Debutant Jussi Jaaskelainen parried away Kieron Morris as Tom Bradshaw had fed the winger.
The hosts failed to take advantage of decent early opening, Reece James found some generous room on the left-side of the Saddlers box.
He squared for former Albion man Donervon Daniels to strike a shot at Adam Chambers, with referee Andy Haines waving play on.
Walsall were fortunate to survive some slack pieces of play a quarter of an hour in.
Walsall; (4-1-4-1): Etheridge, Demetriou, Taylor, O'Connor, Downing; Chambers ©; Mantom, Sawyers, Lalkovic (Forde, 65), Morris (Cook, 79); Bradshaw.
Substitutes not used: MacGilivray, Baxendale, Henry, Preston, Flanagan,
Wigan (3-5-2): Jaaskelainen, James, Perkins, Daniels, Barnett, Power (Chow, 77), McCann, Jacobs, Morgan ©, Hiwula (Wildschut, 45), Grigg (Love, 70).
Substitutes not said: O'Donnell, Kellett, Odelusi, Junior.
Referee: Andy Haines
Attendance: 8,636 (748 from Walsall).[/breakout]
First Morris loose ball allowed former loanee Jordy Hiwula to charge at the visitors' backline. James O'Connor then hauled Hiwula down and Michael Jacobs' free-kick was deflected over the top.
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was less than convincing from the resulting corner and only some poor finishing from Hiwula saw the ball blaze over the top..
Jacobs had another crack from 25 yards after Chambers picked up a booking for bringing down the former Wolves man, again finding a strong Saddlers wall.
O'Connor was then at his best to superbly deny Jacobs with a goal-saving challenge. Two top pieces of defending were the highlight as half-time approached.
Firstly, David Perkins' lovely slide-rule pass seemed to set Hiwula in on goal but he inexplicably checked inside and allowed O'Connor to make a vital interception.
Straight down the other end and Bradshaw got the better of Leon Barnett but before he could get his strike away, Morgan was in brilliantly to deny him a sighter of goal.
The Latics, who were without a home defeat at the DW Stadium this season, started the second period exactly how they finished the first.
Etheridge was again tested with a dangerous Daniels centre, but handled well.
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Former Saddlers forward Will Grigg then cut in dangerously from the left-hand side, before flashing a dipping drive of the goalkeeper's far post.
But the clearest chance of the game came in the 48th minute, as the lively Jacobs threaded a ball into half-time substitute Yanic Wildschut.
He broke the Walsall back-line, but could not finish beyond Etheridge, who spread himself as best possible to save with his chest.
After a brief period of sustained pressure involving Sawyers and Bradshaw, Morris saw his driven strike arch past Jaaskelainen's post with the Fin scrambling.
The hosts, and in particular former favourite Grigg, had their say in the second and should have opened the scoring. First, from a left-sided cross the forward was crowded out on the six yard line.
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From the following right-sided delivery, the £1million frontman had all the time in the world to cushion a finish into an empty net but fluffed his lines.
Saddlers grew as the second-half wore on and their travelling faithful were screaming for a spot-kick an hour in.
Bradshaw had been afford space in the box and his instant strike was blocked by a crowd of bodies.
Moments later, Sawyers sent Morris in the clear and he was felled by skipper Morgan, who was last man and rightly shown a straight red card by referee Haines.
The man advantage was telling and Walsall had Wigan under the cosh, Morris stung the palms of Jaaskelainen after being awarded room around the home side's box.
