Oldham 2 Walsall 3 - Report

Although M6 traffic delayed the Saddlers on their way to Boundary Park, they began the proceedings on top.

A deserved goal came after 23 minutes when Josh Gordon neatly tucked home a penalty before the hosts came alive. A handful of efforts came close and they hit the woodwork twice but failed to equalise before half-time.

Less than five minutes into the second half and Walsall added another when Carl Piergianni turned into his own net. But only three minutes after that Oldham were back in it when Dylan Fage made up for his penalty foul earlier in the game by tucking home.

With the visitors leading and seeing some set pieces come to nothing, Piergianni made up for his own goal. The centre-back met a deep free-kick and headed into the bottom corner.

Despite that setback, the Saddlers struck again in the 73rd minute. Elijah Adebayo met a Wes McDonald cross and tucked the ball under goalkeeper Ian Lawlor from close-range.

An intense finish to a hectic half of football saw the Saddlers hold onto the points to make it three consecutive wins in the fourth tier.

Darrell Clarke made one change to his team as they started in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Gordon made his first start since returning from a medial knee injury as Emmanuel Osadebe dropped to the bench.

The change allowed Rory Holden to move into the number 10 position behind the striker, where he is often more influential.

Harry Kewell named an unchanged Oldham side, also starting with a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Despite a major accident on the M6 causing severe delays and the Walsall team arriving late, the game kicked off at 7pm as planned - and the Saddlers started brightly.

With confidence high from two wins in their last two outings, Clarke’s side pressed high and with intensity from the beginning. McDonald and Holden looked sharp in the opening exchanges.

The hosts showed some threat themselves, however, with both Dylan Bahamboula and Conor McAleny looking dangerous on either flank.

With Walsall’s high press consistently winning them the ball back and frustrating Oldham, the chances began to flow. Holden, Gordon and Adebayo all got into good positions but the final pass was missing.

But after 23 minutes the breakthrough finally came. McDonald was tripped by Fage as he raced into the box and referee James Ball pointed to the spot. Gordon stepped up to calmly and confidently tuck the ball into the bottom right corner.

An Oldham counter-attack almost proved fruitful when Bahamboula raced away down the right. He tricked his way into the box but his cut-back avoided his team-mates and was cleared.

Gordon almost doubled his side’s lead when he met a lovely lofted Holden cross but his back post header was deflected wide for a corner with the goal gaping. The corner came to nothing.

Adebayo then saw a strong effort smash off the near post.

After 40 minutes Oldham should have been level. Alfie McCalmont was played through on goal and from 15 yards his strong shot was saved superbly by Jack Rose. His follow-up then smashed the crossbar as Walsall held onto their narrow lead.

Zak Jules then picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Hayden White. The right-back slotted straight in at left-back with no other defenders on the bench.

Once again the Latics were inches away equalising when Bahamboula’s deflected effort hit the far post and rolled across the goal line before being cleared away.

Despite these close calls the Saddlers entered half-time leading 1-0.

The hosts started the second half brightly and had the first effort within a minute but Rose held Ben Garrity’s long-range shot.

A sharp Walsall counter-attack saw McDonald descend upon the Latics goal but as he reached the byline his cross was cut out.

The visitors should have doubled their lead through Gordon through another swift counter-attack. This time Holden raced through the middle and played in Gordon on the right. With just the goalkeeper to beat he scuffed his effort over the bar.

But only minutes later Walsall did extend their advantage. A Cameron Norman cross was turned into his own net by Piergianni.

In an action-packed few minutes Rose again saved his team with a sublime save to deny McAleny before Bobby Grant hit the crossbar with his follow up.

In the next phase of play, however, Oldham did pull a goal back. Fage reacted quickest from a scramble in the box, following a Bahamboula cross, to turn home.

In the 68th minute Oldham equalised through Piergianni. He met a Bahamboula free-kick and headed home.

Despite the hosts buoyant after coming from two goals down, Walsall once again took the lead. A brilliant McDonald cross found Adebayo who nipped ahead of his markers and the goalkeeper to tuck the ball under him and into the net.

Both sides had chances in the minutes to come with some counter-attacks breaking down for Walsall and a handful of dangerous crosses from Bahamboula coming to nothing for Oldham.

Substitute Jake Scrimshaw came close when his shot dragged just wide of the post.

After four minutes of added time and some backs-to-the-wall defending, Walsall hung on for the three points and made it three wins in a row.

Teams

Walsall: Rose, Norman, Scarr, Clarke, Jules (White, 44), Bates, Kinsella, Gordon (Sinclair, 76), Holden, McDonald (Scrimshaw, 82), Adebayo (Lavery, 82).

Subs not used: Roberts, Guthrie, Osadebe.

Oldham: Lawlor, Fage, Clarke, Piergianni, Borthwick-Jackson, Ntambwe (Keillor-Dunn, 61), Bahamboula, Garrity, McCalmont (Barnett, 85), McAleny (Dearnley, 67), Grant.

Subs not used: Bilboe, Whelan, Diarra, Hamer.