Walsall still in play-off race - just

Walsall 1 Crewe Alexandra 1

They're still in the play-off hunt, but they left it agonisingly late this time, writes Sean Calvert.

After four consecutive winless matches, this was the first of half a dozen "winnable" games identified by Richard Money for three points, should Walsall wish to end this season in the play-off places.

In the end only an Ian Roper header in the dying seconds of injury time earned them a point against a Crewe side, who in the best traditions of Dario Gradi's long association with the Railwaymen, played some attractive football at times and can count themselves unfortunate not to have headed back up the M6 with the victory.

Money had gone to great lengths to request an inspiring atmosphere from the fans to boost his tired-looking squad after the mentally and physically exhausting loss to Leeds on Saturday, but the relationship between the crowd and the players is a two-way street and early on there was little for the fans to get excited about on the pitch.

In fact it took over 20 uneventful minutes for the first shot of the game and on a freezing cold Easter Monday afternoon it failed to ignite the Banks's atmosphere.

Not until the introduction of young forwards Alex Nicholls and Troy Deeney did the home supporters really become involved in the match and this coincided with a period of intense pressure from Walsall that strangely led to them going a goal behind.

Even the much-exposed topless, dancing fan in the Floors-2-Go Stand could only muster a brief spell of energy during the first 45 minutes – perhaps he too was suffering the effects of the exhausting Easter programme?

Money had decided against bringing back Nicholls and Deeney and was without the unavailable Mark Bradley and Richard Taundry, so he opted for the same personnel who were comfortably beaten at Leeds, but with a slight alteration in formation to a 4-4-2.

Kevin Betsy was handed the second striker's role, which would appear to indicate that Stefan Moore has considerably more work to do if he is to feature in a Walsall shirt for the foreseeable future, barring injury and suspension, as Betsy himself has only sporadically threatened when deployed there.

The recent dip in results can be put down to any number of issues, but the overriding fact that cannot be ignored is that Walsall for all their success on their travels have forgotten how to win at home.

They have just six wins all season, which is the third worst in the division – only rock bottom Port Vale and Bristol Rovers have fewer and it is this lack of victories at the Banks's that now looks as if it will scupper their hopes of consecutive promotions.

For all their effort and endeavour against Crewe in the first half, their over reliance on Tommy Mooney to score goals came to the fore once again and the skipper is going through one of those spells at the moment that every striker has to endure on occasions whereby try as he might, the goals just aren't coming.

If Betsy isn't the answer to the question of who is to be Mooney's regular partner then perhaps either Nicholls or Deeney are.

The energy, pace and work rate that the youngsters exuded when they belatedly arrived on the pitch, lifted the spirits of the crowd and on another day would surely have led to the Saddlers opening the scoring. But it wasn't to be and instead it was the visitors who took the lead with a fine strike from Nicky Maynard, himself only 21 years of age.

The opening spell of the first period of this encounter was notable only for Ian Roper's early booking for a late lunge on Dean Morgan and the centre-half, who has been struggling of late, was given a warning by Mr Graham 20 minutes later after he was deemed to have been late with another challenge.

He and Walsall survived that scare though and went on to dominate the possession and create the vast majority of the chances in the first 45 minutes.

They all fell to Mooney, who found Ben Williams in frustrating form in the Crewe goal.

Williams twice denied Mooney with fingertip saves after 21 and 32 minutes before Morgan wasted Crewe's best chance when put clear by sidefooting wide of Ince's left hand post with 10 minutes of the half remaining.

The Crewe stopper than made it a hat-trick of saves from Mooney right on half-time when he pushed the striker's header round the post after good work from Sonko on the right.

Further opportunities for Walsall to take the lead fell to Sonko and inevitably Mooney before they were caught by an impressive finish from Maynard, who received the ball from strike partner Tom Pope and turned Roper before firing past Ince on the hour mark.

Money made his final change after 68 minutes when Alassane N'Dour replaced Sonko, who had reverted to a central midfield role to accommodate Nicholls on the right and it was to the latter that the remaining chances fell.

Utilising his pace and direct running, the 20-year-old carved out two opportunities, one of which went wide and the other of which was well saved.

But he still had time to win the corner, which Roper and Anthony Gerrard both attacked and the former got the final touch ahead of Williams for the last-gasp equaliser.

It was tough on Crewe for whom three points would have been mighty welcome in their relegation fight, but a timely boost for Roper and Walsall.

Money will be hoping that earning a point when all seemed lost will galvanise the troops ahead of what is another huge game at Southend this weekend and their away record gives them a chance at Roots Hall to put an end to what is now five games without a win.

But the remaining "winnable" games are mainly at home and that must be a concern to Money.