Walsall 2 Colchester 1 - Report and pictures

Matt Preston scored a stoppage time winner to earn Walsall the most dramatic of victories over relegation-threatened Colchester.

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Entering the final stages of game trailing to an Alex Gilbey goal, Tom Bradshaw pulled the Saddlers level when he smashed home in the 89th minute.

Jon Whitney's side had been second best throughout but they showed their fighting spirit when the drama continued deep into stoppage time.

A Walsall corner was fired against the bar by Bradshaw with a Colchester defender then seeming to handle the ball on the line.

But, before the referee could make a decision, Preston emphatically put the ball into the net.

It made it a hat-trick of wins under interim boss Whitney and give their Saddlers their first home win this year.

Whitney made one enforced change from the team that secured back-to-back victories against Chesterfield and Fleetwood.

Skipper Adam Chambers, who had been an ever-present this season, was forced to miss out through injury with youngster Liam Kinsella stepping into central midfield.

In the captain's absence, Paul Downing took the armband as the Saddlers remained in a 3-5-2 formation.

For Colchester, under the guidance of former Wolves midfielder Kevin Keen, there were recalls for winger Gavin Massey and former England international Nicky Shorey.

A staggering 37 points separated the promotion chasing Saddlers and relegation-threatened U's before kick-off.

But despite their lowly league position, Colchester were quick to throw players forward and they twice came close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes.

First, Massey's cross looked set to be met by Elliott Lee inside the area but Downing nipped in to expertly head the ball over his own crossbar.

From the resultant corner, Chris Porter arrowed a header towards the bottom corner but a combination of Neil Etheridge an Andy Taylor saw the Saddlers scramble the ball away.

Walsall responded with Jordy Hiwula going on a mesmerising run before being cynically fouled on edge of box.

Before it could be taken, though, James O'Connor went down in some pain with what seemed like a foot injury.

With the centre-back not able to continue Matt Preston was introduced from the subs bench.

Seconds later and the Saddlers were almost ahead with Andy Taylor taking the delayed free-kick and firing inches wide, after his initial effort struck the wall.

It was Colchester though who were enjoying a lot of possession, particularly in between Walsall's defence and midfield.

And they threatened once again midway through the half when Lee burst into the box and hit a low strike which Etheridge was forced to push around the post.

The game was proving an open encounter with Walsall testing Elliott Parish on the half hour mark when Hiwula's cross-field ball found Rico Henry 18-yards from goal.

The 18-year-old took a touch before firing a low effort across goal but it was too close to the goalkeeper, who comfortably claimed.

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Walsall had been anything but their free-flowing best with the Saddlers struggling to move the ball quickly enough to shift the Colchester defence around.

With the fourth official indicating two minutes of stoppage time, Keen's side deservedly went in front.

It almost came when Porter teed up Lee inside the area with the striker's effort taking the slightest of deflections to bobble wide.

But, from the resultant corner, Alex Gilbey powerfully met an Owen Garvan delivery to send the ball crashing into the net.

With the Saddlers still looking out of sorts, neither side created a chance of note in the opening 15 minutes of the second-half.

But Whitney's side were soon indebted to the impressive Etheridge once again after he kept out a Massey effort from point blank range to keep his side in the game.

George Moncur did well to get to the byline and roll a cross along the six-yard box which was collected by the U's winger at the back post.

But just as he looked to fire his side into a two goal advantage, Etheridge brilliantly raced off his line to bravely block at his feet.

Whitney responded by making a double change with Kinsella and Henry coming off for Kieron Morris and Milan Lalkovic.

The substitutions did seem up-lift the home side with Lalkovic whipping in an early cross and Demetriou seeing an effort from 20-yards easily saved by Parish.

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Etheridge was again off his line quickly to thwart Massey in the 80th minute with the Saddlers then counter-attacking with their best move of the match.

A wonderful cross-field ball from Sam Mantom sent Lalkovic galloping away down the left flank.

But as the winger cut inside the box, he seemed to get caught into two minds whether to pass or shoot and eventually teed up Hiwula, who scuffed an effort horribly over from 12-yards.

Walsall hadn't looked like scoring throughout the entire game. But they pulled level in the 89th minute when striker Bradshaw made it 18 for the season with a fantastic finish.

A ball into the box was cushioned into the strikers path by Preston with the Welsh forward taking the ball in his stride before firing an unstoppable striker past Parish.

The roar inside the Banks's lifted everyone but Colchester should have got themselves back ahead immediately after, when Etheridge mis-judged a cross to the back past.

Darren Ambrose looked to head the ball into the empty net but could only put it wide from an acute angle.

Buoyed, Walsall burst up the other end and almost got their noses in front when Lalkovic slipped in Bradshaw.

The striker arrowed a drive towards the bottom corner but Parish managed to somehow get down and claw the ball away.

Yet, incredibly, Walsall were not done with Saddlers snatching all three points in stoppage time.

A corner was met in the box by Bradshaw who rifled the ball against the crossbar with a Colchester defender then appearing to handle the ball on the line.

But before the referee was forced to make a decision, Preston smashed the ball home from close range to send the Banks's Stadium into pandemonium and earn Walsall three vital points.