Walsall 2 Coventry 2 (3-4 after penalties) - Report and pictures

After the two sides played out a 2-2 draw at the Banks’s Stadium, it was the Sky Blues who held their nerve in the shootout with Joe Edwards missing the crucial spot-kick for the Saddlers.

Jon Whitney’s side took a 1-0 lead on the night thanks to a Zeli Ismail penalty. Coventry then levelled from the spot themselves through Marc McNulty.

Mark Robins’s side then turned the tie on its head when substitute Jordan Ponticelli put them in front only for Dan Agyei to pull the hosts level in stoppage time.

But while Erhun Oztumer, Luke Leahy and Amadou Bakayoko went on to score their spot-kicks in the shootout, Agyei and Edwards missed to ensure it was the Sky Blues who earned a bonus point in Northern Group E.

Had Walsall triumphed, neither Coventry or Albion would have been able to catch them heading into the final round of group games.

But their fate in the competition will now be decided on November 7 when they travel to take on Shrewsbury.

Analysis

With places up for grabs for Saturday’s league clash with table-topping Shrewsbury, Whitney opted to make six changes from the side that slipped to defeat at Wigan.

Sticking with a traditional 4-4-2 formation, youngsters Kory Roberts, Reece Flanagan and Maz Kouyhar were all given the chance to impress.

The system also gave the boss a chance to look at Amadou Bakayoko and Dan Agyei as a front two – with Tyler Roberts away on international duty.

Coventry, who won the Checkatrade Trophy last season, made 10 changes from their win over Crewe with defender Jack Grimmer the only man to keep his place.

Opting for a 4-2-3-1 system, Stuart Beavon started as a lone centre-forward with Jordan Shipley, Marc McNulty and Peter Vincenti the trio operating behind.

In what was as keenly contested opening 20 minutes, both teams created chances to open the scoring.

It was the Saddlers who threatened first with Ismail flashing a strike inches past the post from just outside the box.

Coventry then came a whisker away from breaking the deadlock when Beavon turned sharply in the box before firing past Liam Roberts.

Fortunately for the Saddlers though, Kory Roberts had read the situation and placed himself in the right position to be able to hack clear off the line.

Despite all their changes, it was the visitors who continued to look the more dangerous side.

And they saw another effort cleared off the line when Beavon worked himself some space on the right before delivering a dangerous cross.

The delivery was met by Vincenti who powered a header at goal. But Kouyhar was positioned perfectly to head clear from under his own crossbar.

Undeterred, Mark Robins’s men continued to press with Ben Stevenson entering the box and seeing a strike deflect just past the upright.

It was Walsall though who would open the scoring on the half-hour when Ismail entered the box only to be tripped by Vincenti.

The Bury loanee then dusted himself down to emphatically fire the resultant spot-kick into the bottom right corner.

Coventry hit back and almost pulled level shortly before the interval.

After forcing a free-kick wide on the right, Jordan Shipley whipped in a dangerous ball that was again met by Vincenti.

But the winger’s header was spectacularly pushed away by a diving Liam Roberts.

Shortly after the re-start though, the visitors did pull level with Liam Roberts bringing down McNulty for what was the seventh penalty the Saddlers have conceded this season.

The attacking midfielder was tumbled to the floor by the keeper after he collected a Sky Blues corner inside the six-yard-box.

And he former Sheffield United man took the spot-kick himself, calmly placing the ball into the bottom right corner and beyond the reach of Roberts.

Just five minutes later and Robin’s men had turned the tie on its head with substitute Ponticelli tapping home a McNulty cut-back after the forward had got in behind the Walsall defence.

The Saddlers responded with Luke Leahy sending in a low cross which Bakayoko sweeped towards goal only to be denied by an excellent one-handed stop by Liam O’Brien.

Whitney opted to change things as the clock ticked towards the 70 minute mark with Joe Edwards and Erhun Oztumer replacing Kouyhar and Ismail.

But it wasn’t until stoppage time that they pulled level, with Agyei bundling home the ball following a well-taken Edwards’ corner.

That took the game to penalties with McNulty missing the first for Coventry.

But Vincenti, Stevenson, Shipley and Ponticelli scored the resultant spot-kicks with Edwards and Agyei missing for the Saddlers.

Teams

Walsall: Roberts, Leahy, Guthrie, Roberts, Devlin, Morris, Flanagan, Kouyhar (Edwards 63), Ismail (Oztumer 69), Bakayoko, Agyei.

Subs not used: Ganley, Sangha, Shorrock, Mason, Cairns.

Coventry: Coventry: O'Brien, Grimmer, Vincenti, McNulty, Hyam, Beavon (Ponticelli 46), Kelly-Evans, Shipley, Maycock (Sayoud 74), Stevenson, Camwell.

Subs not used: Addai, Bayliss, Finn, Ford, Hickman.