Walsall Senior Cup final: Rushall Olympic 2-2 Walsall Wood (Rushall win 4-3 on penalties) - Report and pictures

Liam McDonald’s men twice led through Richard Brodie and Andre Landell but Wood, who played more than an hour with 10 men, equalised with Paul Sullivan and Lei Brown goals.

Brown’s leveller came in the 93rd minute but the Pics won 4-3 on spot-kicks as Danny Waldron netted the decider.

For Midland League Division One champions Wood there is plenty left to play for in a hectic end to the season.

They had tasted Banks’s Stadium success just two nights earlier in a 2-1 win in the Polymac Packaging League Cup over Coleshill Town.

And Saturday will see the ML Safety Stadium side do battle with Wolverhampton Sporting in the J W Hunt Cup semi-final.

Higher-ranked Rushall, who played three divisions higher than their opponents this season, started well and dictated the ball. Landell shot at Lloyd Ransome, while Waldron headed over and Simeon Maye dragged wide inside 10 minutes.

Waldron’s looped header was easily caught by the Wood keeper but Rushall were looking dangerous and led midway through the first period as frontman Brodie took a Maye pass from the right, checked inside a defender and dinked a calm finish over Ransome and in.

Rushall finished an impressive eighth under McDonald after finding themselves in the drop zone on his October appointment.

Walsall Wood showed signs of life as the half progressed and managed to hold on to the ball after the half hour mark, but only had a Gavin Hurren header wide of the post came close to troubling Joe Slinn’s goal.

Maye could have done better on the break for the Pics but opted against passing and curled an effort from distance at Ransome.

Wood’s busy schedule of three games in seven days became more challenging as they lost Keenan Meakin-Richards five minutes before the break for an off the ball altercation with Brodie.

The Pics last made the competition’s final two years ago but that clash - against Birch’s Lichfield City - was cancelled after Lichfield pulled out due to a change in venue.

The Wood started the second period better and levelled through Sullivan’s fine strike from 25 yards. A short free-kick was rolled to the striker and his heavily deflected effort thundered in off the bar,

But midway through the second half Landell’s composed finish into the far corner from the left side of the box had Rushall back ahead.

Birch’s men went for another leveller and sub Lei Brown was an inch from converting Sullivan’s low cross.

Brodie should have sealed it after a couple of nice turns but lifted well over before he teed up Waldron who was denied by Ransome.

A superb, flying Slinn save in the dying moments kept Sullivan’s free-kick out of the top corner and Brodie’s deft chip was repelled.

But Brown bundled in halfway through five minutes added time to take it to penalties where the Pics edged it.

Walsall Wood: Ransome, Hayden, Deakin, Meakin-Richards, Slater, Tolley (McFarlane, 85), Till (Brown, 45), Westwood (Walker, 73), Sullivan, Hurren, Lund.

Subs not used: Okojie, Fitzpatrick.

Rushall Olympic: Spinn, Webb, Maslen-Jones, Adelekan, Smikle, Landell, Maye, Brodie, Whittall, Dubidat (Sarmento, 58), Waldron.

Subs not used: Burroughs, Archer, Paisley, Wall.

Referee: Richard Cattell