Bromley 2-2 Walsall: Saddlers salvage a point at Hayes Lane

Ben Thompson curled Bromley into the lead from the edge of the box on seven minutes and Corey Whitely had a superb goal from an acute angle ruled out for offside. 

Former Bromley striker Levi Amantchi pulled Walsall level on the cusp of half-time with a lovely finish on the turn. 

Substitute Harry McKirdy restored Bromley's lead with a delightful lob 10 minutes after the restart but Jamille Matt levelled again with his 12th goal of the season with 20 minutes left.

The Saddlers extended their lead to three points at the top of the table but are winless in five games in League Two.

Mat Sadler rung the changes with no fewer than five new faces from the team which began their 3-1 defeat against Grimsby Town at Bescot on Saturday. 

Sam Hornby was given the nod over Tommy Simkin between the sticks as he made his first league start since a 1-0 loss at MK Dons on September 7. 

Oisin McEntee, Evan Weir, Brandon Comley and Jamille Matt were also recalled, with Taylor Allen stepping up into midfield. Ryan Stirk dropped to the bench against his former club after previously starting every league game for Walsall.

Bromley took the lead after seven minutes when Thompson scored his fifth goal of the season with an excellent strike from the edge of the box. 

Cameron Congreve raced away on the counter-attack and twisted Liam Gordon inside out with a slaloming run down the left. He picked up his head to spot Thompson unmarked on the edge of the box and the Bromley midfielder curled a sumptuous effort into Hornby's right-hand top corner.

Walsall suffered another blow when Ellis Harrison was forced off with an injury and replaced by Amantchi, who came on against his former employers, in the 19th-minute.

Liam Gordon surged inside from the left and drew a comfortable save from Grant Smith with a tame effort on his weaker right foot. 

At the other end, Whitely had a goal ruled out for offside after he latched on to a long ball into the inside-right channel and unleashed a powerful half-volley in off the post from an acute angle.

The Saddlers hardly laid a glove on Bromley in the opening half-hour but had a good chance when Amantchi failed to direct Connor Barrett's low delivery on target at the near post.

Bromley had a chance to double their advantage before the break when Deji Elerewe glanced his header wide from Adam Mayor's inviting free-kick. 

Walsall equalised against the run of play when substitute McEntee hooked a long throw-in towards Amantchi at the back post. The striker cushioned the ball down and fired an unerring finish past Smith on the turn to bring Walsall in level at half-time.

McEntee stung the palms of Smith with a thumping header after the restart but was subsequently penalised for a push on Elerewe. 

Half-time substitute McKirdy restored Bromley's lead 10 minutes into the second half when he latched on to Michael Cheek's ball in behind and lobbed the emerging Hornby with a perfectly executed finish.

Walsall lacked guile and imagination for the first 20 minutes of the second half but they restored parity through Matt with a real moment of quality in the 70th-minute.

Jellis and Barrett combined effectively down the right and the latter delivered a fizzing cross to the near post which Matt instinctively touched past Smith on the volley.

Sadler opted against bringing on extra reinforcements from the bench and Walsall had a prime opening to seal all three points when they broke three against two on the counter-attack. 

Jellis had options either side but his pass to Allen was slightly overcooked and sent him wide as the cross was eventually gathered by Smith.

Teams 

Bromley (4-3-2-1): Smith; Grant (McKirdy 46), Elerewe, Webster, Mayor; Charles (Dennis 87), Arthurs, Thompson; Congreve (Ilunga 68), Whitely; Cheek (Kabamba 87).

Unused: Long, Sowumni, Odutayo.

Walsall (3-1-4-2): Hornby; McEntee, Okagbue, Weir; Comley; Barrett, Jellis, Allen, Gordon; Harrison (Amantchi 19), Matt.

Unused: Simkin, Lakin, Williams, Stirk, Wheatley, Adomah.

Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo