Walsall 1 Northampton Town 0 - Report and pictures
George Dobson was the hero after he netted a stunning 91st minute goal to secure victory over Northampton and put Walsall to within touching distance of League One safety.
The midfielder swept home with a wonderful strike following a swift Saddlers counter and, in doing so, condemned the Cobblers to almost-certain relegation.
In front of 8,919 fans at the Banks’s Stadium, the visitors did everything they could to save their season with Liam Roberts brilliantly denying Daniel Powell and Matt Grimes hitting the post and bar with a miss-hit cross from distance.
But it was Walsall who hauled themselves over the line thanks to Dobson’s goal – his first since returning to the club from Sparta Rotterdam.
With Rochdale losing at Oxford and Oldham playing out a 0-0 draw with Doncaster, the result moves the Saddlers up to 18th in League One, three points clear of the bottom four.
Analysis
Boss Keates sprung a surprise when naming his starting line-up with youngster Kory Roberts preferred at right-back ahead of Liam Kinsella, writes Joseph Masi, at the Banks's Stadium.
There was also a recall for Erhun Oztumer on what is likely to be his final Walsall appearance at the Banks’s Stadium with Julien Ngoy the man to make way.
It meant the Saddlers lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Oztumer operating just behind Amadou Bakayoko and Nicky Devlin starting on the right of midfield and Kieron Morris on the left.
Northampton began the game in the same system with John Joe-O’Toole behind lone front man Sam Hoskins
The Cobblers entered the clash having won their last two but knowing they had to win again to have any realistic hopes of avoiding relegation to League Two.
And it was the visitors who came flying out the blocks with Liam Roberts producing an outstanding save to prevent them taking the lead inside the first few minutes.
A brilliant Matt Grimes ball put Daniel Powell clean through with the winger then looking to fire across goal and into the bottom corner.
But Roberts was on hand to spectacularly tip the effort onto the post – with the keeper then reacting quickest to claim the loose the ball.
In what was a frantic start, Walsall responded with Morris seeing a goal-bound strike blocked by David Buchanan following a corner.
It was the Cobblers though who seemed first to every ball as the half reached its midway point.
And they came a whisker away from taking the lead once again when Matt Crooks jinked past a number of challenges and into the box before flashing a cross-come-shot across goal.
The strike looked destined to be tapped home by the waiting Powell but Kory Roberts was perfectly placed to hack clear from just in front of his own goal line.
Northampton continued on the front foot for the rest of the half with Dean Austin’s side pressing with real purpose high up the pitch.
And with Walsall lacking the quality needed to play through that intensity, the two teams made their way off at the break all-square but with the Cobblers having been the better wide.
It was the visitors who continued on the front foot following the restart and they came close again when a deflection allowed Shay Facey to hit the by-line.
He then picked out Crooks with a low cut-back but the wideman fired over when he should have scored.
Walsall hit-back by creating their best two chances of the game.
First, Oztumer collected Jack Fitzwater’s pin-point cross-field pass before lifting the ball over Facey and then clipping an effort narrowly wide.
Oztumer then played Devlin through on goal but the Scotsman fired straight at Richard O’Donnell when he should have scored.
Walsall had another huge let off with a little over 10 minutes to play when Matt Grimes’ miss-hit cross sailed towards goal.
Incredibly the ball bounced off the inside of the post, hit Liam Roberts and then cannoned off the bar before the Saddlers then managed to hack it to safety.
Knowing they had to win the game, Northampton brought on strikers Kevin van Veen and Chris Long with 10 minutes to play.
But while they threw men forward, the substitutions gave Walsall more space to exploit.
They almost took the lead when Oztumer hit a spectacular strike from 30-yards which whistled past the post.
Dobson then whipped in a cross which Devlin glanced wide at the back post when he should have done better.
But just moments after the fourth official raised his board to signal four minutes of stoppage time, the Saddlers grabbed all three points.
Following a swift Walsall counter, the ball was worked to Dobson just inside the box and he swept the ball home first time to the sheer delight of the home crowd.
Key moments
2 - Daniel Powell bursts into the box and sees a fierce low drive turned onto the post by Liam Roberts.
8 - From a Walsall corner, Kieron Morris sees a goal-bound strike blocked by David Buchanan.
23 - Matt Crooks skips past his man and sees and low cross-come-shot blocked by K Roberts from virtually on the line.
26 - Matt Grimes’ left-footed free-kick from 25-yards curls wide of the far post.
30 - Luke Leahy’s long throw drops for Erhun Oztumer in the box but his volley is blocked.
37 - From Leahy’s long throw, Jack Fitzwater’s flicked header is held by Richard O’Donnell.
44 - Kieron Morris drags a shot wide from the edge of the box.
48 - Northampton break but Shaun McWilliams fires high and wide from 20-yards.
51 - Crooks' cut-back is put over by Shay Facey from close range.
55 - Crooks gets the better of Leahy but his cross is put behind and the corner is claimed by Liam Roberts.
56 - Oztumer collects Jack Fitzwater's cross-field ball, beats his man but dinks an effort wide.
57 - Oztumer plays in Nicky Devlin but his fierce drive is blocked by Richard O'Donnell.
71 - Kory Roberts spins on the edge of the box before firing wide.
77 - Grimes' over-hit cross loops over Liam Roberts and hits the post, bounces back onto Roberts and hits the bar.
82 - Oztumer with a brilliant, swerving long-range left-footed strike which whistles just wide.
85 - Dobson sends in a cross which Devlin glances wide at the far post.
90+1 - GOAL WALSALL Dobson brilliantly sweeps the ball home following a swift Walsall counter.
Teams
Walsall: L. Roberts, K. Roberts, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Leahy, Devlin, Chambers, Dobson, Morris, Oztumer (Cuvelier 93), Bakayoko.
Subs not used: Gillespie, Kinsella, Flanagan, Kouhyar, Ngoy, Candlin.
Northampton: O'Donnell, Buchanan, Barnett, Taylor, Powell, Hoskins, McWilliams (Chris Long 78), O'Toole, Crooks (Van Veen 78), Facey, Grimes.
Subs not used: Cornell, Moloney, Foley, Bridge, Turnball.
