Walsall Wood 2 Anstey Nomads 2 - Report

Harry Harris’s men looked to be heading for a fifth straight Northern Premier League Midlands Division defeat after set pieces proved their Achilles heel but Watkins emerged through the maelstrom of a scrappy finale to expertly finish one-on-one with ex-Leicester City keeper Conrad Logan two minutes into added time.

The saviour should have made himself a hero, though, storming in at the near post to meet Josh Mansell’s low driven centre in the six minutes past the 90 only to clear the bar from inside the six-yard box.

A mix-up could have handed Wood a 10th-minute lead but Kevin Monteiro shot straight at Logan from close range after two Nomads defenders got caught under a deep ball into the box.

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when a corner to the far post saw Lewis Gibbens denied by a block only for Luis Rose to force home the rebound.

Wood had the better moments for the rest of the half with Alex Bradley’s free-kick comfortably dealt with by Logan before Dan Gyasi latched on to a loose ball, ran across the box and chopped back inside but floated a fraction beyond the angle of post and bar.

Anstey should have been two up within three minutes of the restart when Corey Armeni recycled a half-cleared corner only for Gibbens to fail to connect in front of a gaping net.

The hosts swiftly made the most of that reprieve with Jai Verma levered to the floor by Zak Harris while pursuing a clever reverse pass into the left of the box. Bradley coolly passed the penalty into the bottom left corner in the 52nd minute.

There was still little to choose between the sides as physicality and agitation increased in both camps but the Nomads struck again 14 minutes from time, Gibbens nodding down inside the far post after Armeni played another half-cleared corner back into the danger zone.

As time ebbed away, the visitors did everything within their power to wind on the clock but arguably paid for that choice.

Wood defender Tyreace Brown, sent up top to ruffle feathers, tangled with his man as a low ball slipped through the backline for Watkins to dart in and caress around the onrushing Logan to level matters but he would end the afternoon punching the post in frustration after missing that golden chance to win it.

Wood: Boucher; Mansell, Roberts (Brown, h-t), Hughes, Lycett; Monteiro, Fitzpatrick (Watkins, 84), Bradley (Somel, 76); Gyasi, Butlin, Verma. Unused subs: Li Riley-Stewart, Clarke.