Hartlepool 3 Walsall 3 - Report
Two goals in injury time - including the second penalty of the game proved heartache for Walsall who saw three points turn into one.
Dan Kemp's second penalty on 91 minutes after Liam Kinsella had brought down Ollie Finney was followed by a Connor Jennings header deep in injury time from a Kemp cross make it 3-3.
Walsall had appeared to be comfortable at 3-1 with a great goal by Jacob Hutchinson and a first for Matty Stevens with a neat finish putting them seemingly in the driving seat.
Earlier Tom Knowles had given them the lead against relegation threatened Hartlepool who got a first penalty back through Kemp after Hutchinson's goal
Walsall went into this game with just two goals in seven games and the problem was threatening to disrupt their chase for the play offs.
As manager Michael Flynn pointed out in the last 20 games Walsall have only lost three but have drawn nine as well.
Although they still have games in hand, Walsall had also only drawn there last five games.
But Hartlepool were third from bottom at the start of play having conceded the most goals of any team in the division - 59 from 33 games.
New manager John Askey was appointed on Wednesday after the sacking of former Wolves defender Keith Curle after the 1-0 home loss against Newport the day before.
Former Walsall winger Brendan Kiernan, who joined Hartlepool in January, was in the starting line up for the North East side
It was almost 1-0 to Walsall within ten seconds when Hartlepool immediately lost possession from their own kick off and Tom Knowles stole in to see his first shot save by the fee of Jakub Stolarczyk who also parried away the second
Hartlepool started fairly brightly after this but their early attacks seemed to break down in the final third where Walsall always looked dangerous.
On 13 minutes a corner from Robbie Willmott came out to Brandon Comley whose shot from 25 yards.
For Hartlepool, Dan Kemp should have done better when he was cleverly played in by David Ferguson on 21 minutes but his shot went well over the bar.
Tom Knowles gave Walsall the lead though on 33 minutes with a very neat finish after Comley had played the ball into his feet and he turned to put the ball into the corner of the net.
Isaac Hutchinson gave Walsall some breathing space just after the break when he received the ball 30 yards out, took a step forward and inside and unleashed an unstoppable shot to make it 2-0.
Owen Evans had to be on his guard though just after to save a curling Mo Sylla shot.
Hartlepool got back in the game though on 54 minutes when Hayden White was adjudged to have impeded a home player in the area and Kemp made no mistake from the spot.
If Walsall were suffering with nerves as the home side pressed for an equaliser, they were calmed on 71 minutes when Matty Stevens got a through ball from Hutchinson and slipped inside substitute Mo Niang who slipped, applying a great finish to make it 3-1.
It looked a lot more comfortable for Walsall after this with Hartlepool seemingly having the strong wind take out of their sails and the Saddlers knocking the ball around well.
That was until stoppage time when Kinsella was judged to have brought down Finney in the box - with Kemp firing home to reduce the arrears to make it a nervy finish for the Saddlers.
Then just minutes late disaster struck as Jennings headed in for the Pools - to break Walsall hearts.
Key moments
10 Hartlepool lose possession from the kick off and Tom Knowles almost takes advantage, with his first shot saved by the feet of Stolarczyk, the rebound back to him saw his shot parried away.
13 Walsall corner from Robbie Willmott came out to Brandon Comley whose shot from 25 yards hit the bar.
21 Good ball inside by David Ferguson for Hartlepool played in Dan Kemp but shot poorly over the bar
33 Good drive into the area by Brandon Comley who played the ball into Tom Knowles who had his back to goal but swivelled round to put it into the corner of the net
48 Jacob Hutchinson makes it 2-0 with an unstoppable shot from 25 yards out
49 Owen Evans saves a curling Mohammad Sylla shot from the edge of the box
54 Hayden White adjudged to have fouled a Hartlepool player in box - penalty given which Dan Kemp converts
71 Goal for Walsall, Matty Stevens' first for the club after he was put through by Hutchinson, neat finish aided by a slip from substitute Mo Niang
91 Liam Kinsella brought down substitute Ollie Finney in the box and Kemp converted his second penalty
93 Connor Jennings gets on the end of a hanging cross at the far post to rescue a point for Hartlepool at the death
Teams
Hartlepool (3-5-2)
Stolarczyk, Kiernan, Foran (Niang 60), Hartley (Dolan 70) Pruti, Ferguson, Sylla, Featherstone (Finney 75), Kemp, Hamilton (Clarke 75), Jennings.
Subs not used: Killip, Grey, McDonald
Walsall (3-4-1-2)
Evans, White, Daniels, Monthe, Knowles, Comley, Stevens (Williams 79), Allen, Hutchinson, Willmott(Low 92) Songo'o (Kinsella 75)
Subs not used: Riley, James-Taylor, McEntee,Gordon
