Port Vale 1 Walsall 3 - Report

In what was a bad day to be a goalkeeper, a slow reaction from Scott Brown allowed Adebayo to race through and put the Saddlers ahead after six minutes.

Just after half an hour Liam Roberts made an error of his own as Tom Conlon smashed a free-kick at him from 35 yards and the goalkeeper watched it go through his legs.

With the game finely poised at 1-1, Adebayo headed Walsall back into the lead in the second half before another Brown mistake gave the visitors a third.

David Fitzpatrick played a harmless back pass to the goalkeeper who saw the ball bobble over his foot and roll into an empty net.

Walsall survived a late onslaught from Vale, as they desperately searched for a way back into the game, to take all three points back to the Black Country.

Darrell Clarke made two changes to the side that drew with Morecambe in midweek, starting in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Alfie Bates returned to the team, in place of Stuart Sinclair, while loanee Tyreik Wright made his first start for the club. This meant Jack Nolan, who had impressed in his last two appearances, was not involved in the squad.

Adebayo, who has been the subject of recent interest from Scottish Championship club Hearts, started for Walsall.

New signings Frank Vincent and Jayden Reid made the bench. With Jack Rose injured no goalkeeper was named among the substitutes.

Port Vale interim manager Danny Pugh missed the game after testing positive for coronavirus and his assistant Frank Sinclair made two changes to the starting XI, using a 4-3-3 formation.

David Worrall and Kurtis Guthrie both came in - the latter making his first start since joining the club on January 15.

Top scorer Devante Rodney, and fellow forward Tom Pope, were not in the squad.

The hosts had a handful of early set pieces that came to nothing and it was Walsall that struck first. In the sixth minute Alfie Bates lifted a ball over the top for Adebayo who beat his marker and the goalkeeper to the ball to tuck it home.

There was a suggestion that Adebayo was offside, but the officials were unmoved.

Wright was on set-piece delivery for the Saddlers and some decent deliveries were causing problems for Vale. A free-kick from the left found Mat Sadler at the back post and his shot was blocked inside the box.

The hosts reacted reasonably well and began to mount some pressure of their own. A shot from range by Conlon flashed wide before Zak Mills also had an effort drift the wrong side of the post.

David Amoo, coming off the right flank, was finding plenty of space and delivered some dangerous crosses into the box.

After 33 minutes the hosts were level. A free-kick from 35 yards was smashed by Conlon and seemed to go straight through Liam Roberts’ legs in the Walsall net.

Guthrie then went down in the box and was appealing for a penalty, but nothing was given.

The hosts controlled the final minutes of the half with crosses from both Worrall and Amoo causing issues, but the teams entered the break drawing 1-1.

As Walsall emerged for the second half they made a slight tactical switch. Wes McDonald, as he did on Tuesday night, moved to play behind Adebayo while Josh Gordon moved to the left flank.

The Saddlers started the half looking threatening from set pieces. First, Dan Scarr’s header from a corner was headed away by Guthrie, before the defender met another cross and his knockdown for Adebayo almost set the striker up.

Just 10 minutes into the second half and Adebayo got his second of the game - taking his tally to 10 for the season. Wright was released down the right wing by McDonald and the teenager cut in on his left foot and delivered a perfect cross for Adebayo to head home from six yards.

Minutes later Wright played a wonderful ball over the top for Adebayo with his left foot, as he began to have more joy in the game.

After 68 minutes Walsall extended their lead in the most unusual and bizarre of circumstances. Fitzpatrick played a harmless back pass to Brown but the ball bobbled over the goalkeeper’s foot and into the empty net.

A handful of changes came for the Saddlers, including Vincent who made his debut.

It was a scrappy game in the final quarter as Vale desperately lifted crosses into the box and Walsall stood firm in defence. Worrall and Conlon got behind the back line on several occasions but could not find the final pass.

As the game ticked into five minutes of added time, substitute Mark Cullen headed home for Vale, but was adjudged to be offside and his goal was ruled out.

The Saddlers hung on to claim the three points.

Teams

Walsall: Roberts, White (Vincent, 68), Scarr, Sadler, Jules, Kinsella, Bates (Sinclair, 62), Wright (Norman, 68), Gordon McDonald, Adebayo (Lavery, 68)

Subs not used: Cockerill-Mollett, Osadebe, Reid.

Port Vale: Brown, Mills (Gibbons, 86), Brisley, Smith, Fitzpatrick, Taylor (Burgess, 86), Joyce (Cullen, 72), Conlon, Worrall, Amoo (Hurst, 66), Guthrie.

Subs not used: Crookes, Bailey, Collinge.