Walsall 3 Shrewsbury Town 2 - Report and pictures

Analysis

A fiery clash at the Banks's Stadium saw both teams reduced to 10 men with former Saddlers star Ryan McGiven first dismissed after picking up two yellow cards.

Amadou Bakyoko was then given his marching orders after also picking up a second booking for celebrating Walsall's late winner.

Goals from Bakayoko and Kieron Morris saw Walsall go in at the break 2-1 up with Olly Lancashire on target for the visitors.

Junior Brown then pulled the Shropshire side level on the hour mark but Oztumer's dramatic late winner it ensured it was Jon Whitney's side who came away with the bragging rights.

Before kick-off, Walsall fans were dealt a blow when it was revealed top scorer Simeon Jackson wasn't in the match day squad.

It meant the promising Bakayoko started as a lone striker with boss Whitney sticking with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

Managerless Shrewsbury, under the guidance of goalkeeping coach Danny Coyne, were also missing their leading marksmen with Ivan Toney suspended.

That meant Andy Mangan and Stoke loanee George Waring were paired up front in a 3-5-2 system.

The derby clash proved uninspiring and scrappy in the opening 20 minutes with Walsall enjoying the lion's share of possession but with Whitney's side guilty of not moving the ball quickly enough.

Slowly but surely though that pressure began to tell with the Saddlers registering the game's first chance when Kevin Toner headed wide at the back-post following a deep Adam Chambers free-kick.

And just a few minutes later, Walsall got their noses in front.

A wonderful through ball from Erhun Oztumer sent Bakayoko galloping through on goal with the striker keeping his composure to emphatically fire past Jayson Leutwiler.

Whitney's side were now in the ascendancy but Salop got themselves back on level terms following a bizarre three minute spell that started with Olly Lancashire coming on for the injured Adam El-Abd.

Shrewsbury had looked most dangerous when pumping balls into the box and that tactic proved successful when ex-Saddler Lancashire managed to nod home Ian Black's hopeful delivery.

Walsall hit-back with James O'Connor hitting a crisp half-volley from 12-yards which sailed inches over the bar.

But while Whitney's men continued to dominate possession, they looked a side suffering a hangover from the 10-day international break with a lack of tempo preventing them from going further ahead.

That changed in the 42nd minute though when Franck Moussa's neat flick allowed Joe Edwards to dart into the box.

The midfielder tried his luck with a fierce drive which Leutwiler beat away. But the ball fell kindly for Morris who managed to scramble it over the line to put his side back into the lead.

Shrewsbury's response was immediate with a low cross into the box outrageously flicked towards goals by Waring.

But Neil Etheridge was equal to the striker's effort with the glovesman producing an outstanding one-handed stop to keep out the striker's effort.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot and almost pulled level with a goal identical to their first.

Again Black's deep free-kick was met in the box by Lancashire but this time the defender nodded wide when he should have scored.

Walsall went straight up the other end and should have put the game to bed when Chambers won the ball high up the pitch and then slipped Oztumer in on goal.

The creative schemer looked to arrow his strike into the far left corner but his effort sailed wide when he should have scored.

And the miss proved to be costly, with Town again pulling themselves level on the hour mark.

Etheridge came and failed to deal with a corner with Shrewsbury then managing to get the ball to Brown who scuffed home from close range.

There was controversy moments later when Waring was tumbled over in the box with referee Nicholas Kinseley awarding the visitors a penalty.

But Walsall were given a huge let off when the official then changed his mind after consulting with his linesman who flagged the striker offside.

The drama though wasn't to end there with ex-Saddler McGiven then sent off after picking up a second yellow.

Having been booked in the first-half, the defender then needlessly reacted to a strong Bakayoko challenge with Kinseley having little option but to send him on his way.

With his side now pressing for a winner, Whitney switched Morris for ex-Shrewsbury youngster Josh Ginnelly with 15 minutes remaining.

It was Coyne's side though who came a whisker away from going in front with Scott Laird spectacularly blocking a Antoni Sarcevic 10-yards from goal.

Walsall responded with a long and sustained spell on possession in and around the Salop box which lead to Moussa having two glorious chances to put his side back in front.

First, Leutwiler produced a fantastic save with his legs to deny the Belgian from close range after the he had been found into box by Laird.

Then after a spell of pinball in the box, the winger lashed a half-volley wide just eight yards from goal when he should have scored.

But right at the death, Walsall found the goal that gave them all three points and their third straight victory in all competitions.

Oztumer's corner bamboozled everyone with the ball somehow making its way over the line to secure a crucial win for Whitney's side.

Position in the table

14th

Teams

Walsall: Etheridge, McCarthy, O'Connor, Toner, Laird, Chambers, Edwards, Morris (Ginnelly 76), Oztumer (Makris 90), Moussa (Preston 90), Bakayoko.

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Dobson, Osbourne, Kinsella.

Shrewsbury: Leutwiler, Grimmer, El-Abd (Lancashire 27), McGivern, Riley, Black, Ogogo, Sarcevic; Mangan (O'Brien 72), Waring (Ebanks-Blake 84)

Subs not used: Halstead, Sadler, Deegan, Leitch-Smith.