Burton 0 Walsall 0 - Report and pictures

Title rivals Walsall and Burton had to settle for a point as the two sides played out an evenly contested goalless draw, writes Joseph Masi from the Pirelli Stadium.

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In a cagey match low on clear-cut chances, both teams cancelled each other out for long spells in a fixture that was always going to have a big say on the League One promotion race.

Overall, Walsall had the better chances with Paul Downing and Romine Sawyers going close in the first half and Jason Demetriou after the break.

For the hosts, Stuart Beavon threatened either side of the break. But a draw was fair result in match more for tactical enthusiasts than neutrals.

The result means the Saddlers remain fourth in the table, four points behind second placed Wigan but with a game in hand.

In naming his starting line-up, boss O'Driscoll made one change from the team slipped to a stoppage time defeat against Wigan.

Having recovered from a thigh injury, James O'Connor returned at the heart of the defence in place of the emerging Matt Preston who dropped to the bench.

It meant the Saddlers continued to operate in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Milan Lalkovic, Romaine Sawyers and Anthony Forde supporting loan striker Tom Bradshaw.

Before kick-off, Burton announced the loan signing of Hamza Choudhury from Leicester with the midfielder starting amongst the substitutes.

Despite the importance of the clash, the Saddlers settled quickly into what was always going to be cagey opening.

And they registered the game's first shot on target when, with his back to goal, Bradshaw hooked Lalkovic's left wing cross into the hands of Jon McLaughlin.

With the two teams largely cancelling each other out, it wasn't until the 20th minute when Burton threatened for the first time.

Talisman Stuart Beavon produced a smart turn in the box to escape the attentions of O'Connor.

But centre-back partner Paul Downing was alert to the danger and managed to expertly block the striker's effort from 12-yards.

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Both teams were showing just how organised and well drilled they are with chances proving few and far between.

But the game sprang into life on the half hour when both keepers were called into action.

First, a brilliant ball from Calum Butcher split the Walsall defence and sent Mason Bennett galloping in on goal.

But as Neil Etheridge came out to meet him, a full-speed Jason Demetriou got back to make a last-ditch tackle with the ball cannoning off his keeper's chest before it was cleared.

Walsall responded immediately with a long ball forward met by a cushioned header from Bradshaw which played Sawyers in.

The St Kitts & Nevis international looked to poke the ball past the on-rushing McLaughlin but the Brewers man got just enough on the ball to push it for a corner.

Suddenly, it was all Walsall with Sawyers seeing a shot from the edge of the box blocked after he had been teed up by Lalkovic.

Walsall's No 10 then slipped in Bradshaw with John Mousinho just able to nip in and clear as the striker looked to get the ball out from under his feet and strike at goal.

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From the resultant corner, Downing's shot forced McLaughlin into a fine save to push the ball over. Either side of the keeper and the Saddlers would have been ahead.

The even nature of the contest continued at the start of the second half with it taking until the hour mark before either side threatened again.

And it was Clough's Brewers who came closest to breaking the deadlock with Beavon dancing past Demetriou and Downing before arrowing a low drive which flew inches past the post.

With the encounter now incredibly scrappy, the ball was suddenly spending a lot of time in the air.

But the Saddlers came a whisker away from taking the lead in the 70th minute when Demetriou burst into the box and hit a low shot which McLaughlin saved with his knees.

O'Driscoll responded in the 77th minute by switching Kieron Morris for Forde with the Brewers introducing Choudhury for Tom Naylor.

The substitutions seemed to lift the home side with Akins heading straight at Etheridge when he should have done better after he meet Damien McCrory's free-kick.

But the rest of the game passed without major incident with a point a fair result despite both sides having chances to pinch all three points.