Walsall 2 Fleetwood 0 - Report and pictures

George Evans' third goal in four games helped Walsall secure a 2-0 win over Fleetwood in the first round of the FA Cup.

[gallery]

The Manchester City loanee netted a stunning long-range strike inside 20 minutes to send the Saddlers on their way, before substitute Anthony Forde put the tie to bed in stoppage time.

In front of a crowd of just 2,532 fans at the Banks's, Walsall deserved to make it through to the next round despite never being at their free-flowing best.

Boss Dean Smith showed how seriously he was taking the competition by making just one change from the team that moved top of League One by beating Gillingham.

Young centre-back Matt Preston was handed only his third start of the season, with James O'Connor not in the match-day squad.

While Kieron Morris and Milan Lalkovic continued on the wings in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which included Manchester City loanee Evans in midfield.

Despite 20 places separating them in the league, it was Fleetwood who came flying out the traps with Steven Pressley's side almost taking the lead inside two minutes.

David Ball skipped past Preston inside the box and delivered a cross that Jamie Proctor would have tapped home, but for an excellent intervention by Paul Downing.

After a quite opening, Walsall slowly began to control proceedings with Lalkovic dancing into the box and hitting a shot which Nathan Pond bravely blocked.

But as the clock ticked towards the 20 minute mark, Smith's side did take the lead.

Romaine Sawyers found Evans in space 25-yards from goal and the youngster kept his composure to arrow a drive into the bottom left corner.

Fleetwood were struggling in possession and after cheaply giving the ball away, Joe Davis was deservedly shown a yellow card for hacking down Tom Bradshaw.

From the resultant free-kick, the Welsh striker headed over the crossbar.

The momentum was now all with the Saddlers and Bradshaw again went close when he headed Morris' delivery wide following a brilliant cross-field ball from Sawyers.

Minutes later, the striker was again in the thick of the action when he brilliantly spun away from Pond with keeper Chris Maxwell forced to dash off his line and smoother.

[related_posts title="More on Walsall"]

The Cod Army hit back with Conor McLaughlin's cross missed by Tyler Forbes, with Downing then expertly nipping in to clear ahead of Proctor.

But as the half drew to a close, Walsall again went close with Jason Demetriou jinking his way into the box and hitting a shot which deflected through to Maxwell.

Smith made two changes at the break with goalkeeper Neil Etheridge replaced by Craig MacGillivray and Lalkovic switched for Forde.

Fleetwood also made a change with Proctor replacing Jamille Matt.

That move looked to be an inspired one when, almost from kick-off, Matt went charging in on goal only to see a low strike smartly pushed away by MacGillivray.

Walsall responded immediately, with Morris hitting a strike straight at Maxwell from 18-yards. Either side of the keeper and the Saddlers would have been two ahead.

[comments_cta header="What do you think?" text= "How did you rate the Walsall performance today?" button="Log in and start commenting"]

With Pressley barking orders, Fleetwood started to enjoy some sustained pressure with most of their good play coming down the Walsall left.

And they registered their best chance of the game when Antoni Sarcevic headed Jimmy Ryan's corner over the bar from close range.

Sawyers had Saddlers fans in awe on the hour mark when he produced an outrageous piece of skill to turn away from two Fleetwood players and help his team regain their foothold on the game.

And for the next 15 minutes, the Saddlers saw a lot of the ball but without creating any clear cut chances.

Smith made his third and final change with Jordan Cook replacing the Bradshaw in the 74th minute.

Matt then headed a deep free-kick straight into the hands of MacGillivray.

With time running out, Fleetwood came a whisker away from pulling level when sub Declan MaManus escaped the attentions of Downing and curled inches past the post.

Forward Matt then hit a shot on the spin from 12 yards which was also not far wide.

Buoyed, the Cod Army began piling forward with a spell in pin-ball in the Saddlers box almost seeing Demetriou divert the ball into his own net.

Then form a corner, Sarcevic's shot was cleared off the line by Evans.

And with the fourth official indicating three minutes of stoppage time, Pressley's side again came close when Pond powered a header over the bar following Nick Haughton's free-kick.

But a minute later Walsall wrapped up the tie with a brilliant goal from Forde.

The Irishman picked up the ball wide on the left before skipping into the box and curling an unstoppable strike past Maxwell.