Walsall 3 Northampton Town 2 - Report and pictures

The Cobblers dominated the first 45 minutes and raced into a 2-0 lead through West Brom loanee Callum Morton.

But the Saddlers fought back and strikes from Josh Gordon and Danny Guthrie pulled them level in the second half.

With both teams searching for a winner, Rory Holden stepped up with his first goal in a Walsall shirt to net in the 93rd minute.

Darrell Clarke made three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Newport County on Tuesday, but kept the 5-3-2 formation.

Shay Facey, Stuart Sinclair and Elijah Adebayo came into the starting XI, meaning Cameron Norman Guthrie and Caolan Lavery dropped to the bench.

Alfie Bates, who was an unused substitute in mid-week, was left out of the squad.

Keith Curle also made three changes to his side after their 1-0 loss to league leaders Swindon on Tuesday, lining up in a 5-3-2.

At an extremely cold, wet and windy Banks’s Stadium the first chance of the game came in the seventh minute. Morton was sent through on goal but pushed wide due to the quality of the pass. With space to run into he shot early and blazed his effort over the bar.

The forward lifted another shot over the bar shortly after when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box.

Adebayo did well when he shrugged off a defender, turned and ran towards goal, but after playing the ball wide the cross came to nothing.

Andy Williams was forced off with an injury inside 15 minutes and was replaced by Matt Warburton.

In the 21st minute, the visitors took the lead. A cross from Nicky Adams seemed to take a small deflection and Morton was on hand to tap home from a couple yards.

Gordon went close minutes later when he latched onto Adebayo’s flick on, but his powerful shot sailed over the bar.

In the 33rd minute Walsall had a big penalty shout waved away. Adebayo did superbly well to turn one player as he raced down the left wing. As he entered the box, a Northampton defender seemed to clip him as he skipped past him, but referee Ben Toner was unmoved.

Northampton then went 2-0 up when Morton notched his second. A sublime in-swinging cross from Paul Anderson is placed between the defenders and goalkeeper and with no-one taking charge, Morton ghosted in to finish into the top corner.

The visitors then went into the break with their two-goal advantage.

Within minutes of the re-start Walsall almost responded. Adebayo came charging down the left flank and looked to cross for Gordon who was free, but goalkeeper David Cornell beat him to the ball.

In the 55th minute, Walsall got a goal back. Gordon got on the end of a Shay Facey cross to direct a brilliant header into the corner.

The introduction of Wes McDonald and Guthrie straight after the goal meant Walsall changed to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Adebayo then went down in the box under another Northampton challenge, but again the referee was unmoved.

Both sides had chances in the minutes that followed with Mat Sadler and Scott Wharton both going close.

The biggest chance, however, fell to Morton who was searching for his hat-trick. The forward shot through a crowd of players and with the ball destined for the bottom corner, Liam Roberts pulled off a superb one-handed save.

In the 77th minute Guthrie pulled Walsall level. With a free-kick on the right he curled in a cross and it evaded everyone before nestling into the net.

Warburton crashed a header off the bar in the 86th minute, before he was adjudged to be offside.

The Saddlers had a chance to win it in the 88th minute. Holden got to the byline and crossed for McDonald who had a free shot in the box, but he lashed it over the bar.

After a frantic second-half Walsall nicked the three points with an injury time winner. Holden broke with McDonald down the left and the midfielder picked it back up in the box, shooting first time with his left foot, and lifting his effort over the goalkeeper.

The game finished 3-2 to the Saddlers.

Walsall: Roberts, Facey, Scarr, Sadler, Jules (McDonald 56), Pring, Sheron (Guthrie 56), Kinsella, Sinclair (Holden 65), Gordon, Adebayo.

Subs not used: Rose, Norman, Nolan, Lavery.

Northampton: Cornell, Goode, Turnbull, Hoskins, Watson, Adams, Williams (Warburton 17), Wharton, Jones, Morton (Oliver 74), Anderson (Harriman 61).

Subs not used: Arnold, Pollock, Lines, Marshall.

Attendance: 4,541 (867 away).