Walsall 1 Sheffield Utd 1 - Report and pictures

Trailing to Jose Baxter's early strike, Walsall spluttered through the opening hour.

But Dean Smith's team ensured they will head into Sunday's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final with some momentum with a blistering finish at the Banks's Stadium.

Their hero was an unlikely one. Ashley Grimes has been a bit-part player for much of the campaign but did his hopes of appearing at Wembley no harm with a brilliant header to bring the hosts level 19 minutes from time.

He almost had the winner two minutes later but saw a shot rebound off the inside of the post.

It might be a bit too late for the former Bury man to have earned a starting place on Sunday but comforting news for boss Smith nonetheless, particularly with top scorer Tom Bradshaw missing out through injury.

The big news before the game was the absence of Bradshaw and Andy Taylor from the matchday squad.

Bradshaw has been suffering with a tight hamstring, while full-back Taylor picked up a knock in Saturday's 1-1 draw with MK Dons.

That presented an opportunity for Mal Benning which he could barely have dreamt of just 48 hours before.

Having been left out of York's team at the weekend, the 21-year-old found himself starting for his parent club with the chance to make an impression five days before a Wembley date.

Bradshaw's absence saw a reshuffle up front with Jordy Hiwula moving back into a central position and Anthony Forde handed his first start in five games.

The latter might have put the hosts ahead within five minutes but pulled his shot wide after racing through midfield from a central position.

Goals: Baxter 8, Grimes 71.

Walsall (4-2-3-1): O'Donnell, Purkiss, Downing, O'Connor, Benning, A Chambers, Mantom (Cain 88), Forde, Sawyers, Cook (Grimes 69), Hiwula (Bakayoko 85)

Substitutes not used: MacGillivray (GK), Baxendale, J Chambers, Flanagan.

Sheffield United (4-4-1-1): Howard, Freeman, Brayford, McEveley, Harris, Holt (B Davies B 86), Reed (S Davies 74), Doyle (c), Murphy, Baxter, Done (Flynn 79).

Substitutes not used: Turner (GK), Alcock, McNulty, Adams.

Referee: Rob Lewis (Shrewsbury),

At the other end, Matt Done tested O'Donnell's reflexes with a snapshot after chesting down Bob Harris' long ball.

The keeper would be beaten, however, soon after as Baxter opened the scoring for the Blades.

It appeared O'Donnell was simply beaten for pace by the midfielder's sublime 25 yard finish which nestled in the bottom corner.

The Saddlers looked disjointed and might have been left with a mountain to climb had Jamie Murphy's pull back following a storming run to the byline not been a yard behind Jason Holt.

As it was, the midfielder could only scuff his effort wide from eight yards.

It was scrappy from the hosts and poor control from Jordan Cook allowed John Brayford a sight at goal.

His shot was well off target, as was Kieron Freeman's soon after when Romaine Sawyers was similarly loose in possession but the two incidents summed up the general sloppiness of the Saddlers in the opening half hour.

Forde almost pulled them level with a 25 yard free-kick which curled just wide of the post before Hiwula squandered a great opportunity when he could only direct his header from Cook's dinked cross straight at Mark Howard.

The half ended in scrappy fashion and a chorus of boos as seemingly every tackle was greeted by a whistle from referee Rob Lewis.

Sawyers almost pulled the Saddlers level in the early minutes of the second half but his half-volley from the edge of the box flew inches over the bar after the Blades had failed to clear a Cook cross.

But any hopes that would start a barrage from the home side would prove to be misplaced as tge game threatened to descend into stalemate.

O'Donnell had to be quick to react when Downing sliced a cross toward his own goal. Holt would eventually force the ball home - but only after illegally kicking it out of the Walsall keeper's grasp.

With the visitors happy to sit back on their lead, the hosts were finding it hard to break them down.

They were guilty of attempting too many long balls which were either easily mopped up by the Blades backline or misdirected out of play.

When they did get a sniff at goal, James O'Connor could not direct his header from Forde's corner on target.

Downing would get closer from the next set piece as his header skimmed the top of the bar.

Belatedly, the Saddlers seemed to have momentum and Cook should have pulled them level when he met a Forde cross at the far post, after Hiwula had won the ball in midfield and driven forward.

But his first-time finish cleared the bar by some considerable distance. He was replaced by Grimes soon after and the change took just three minutes to bear fruit.

The super sub completed the move of the match by heading Purkiss' bullet of a cross past Howard just three minutes after entering the field of play.

Two minutes later he should have had another but his shot, following another blistering move, cannoned off the inside of the post and to safety.

Having struck gold with on substitution, Smith almost did the same with another but Amadou Bakayoko's header was saved by Howard.

Late on, O'Donnell pulled off a superb stop to keep out Ben Davies' free-kick and preserve a deserved point.