Rochdale 4 Walsall 2 - Report

Owen Evans scampered back to try and save a speculative Ethan Brierley shot from just inside the Walsall half after the goalkeeper had made a poor clearance. He managed the feat spectacularly but the goal was given.

It was harsh on Walsall, particularly as they had a goal disallowed themselves, but against a team rock bottom of League Two they probably should have won the game, especially after being one up through Jamille Matt's first goal for the club.

Walsall were desperate for a win to take back to the Bescot Stadium when they play Carlisle on Monday – they had managed just one in 16 games going into this game.

Rochdale were captained by former Wolves and Shrewsbury defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell but there was no place in the side for former Saddler Devante Rodney.

And it was they who started the game the better although the first chance of the game didn't come until the 13th minute of the game when Ebanks Landell turned a Brierley shot wide.

Six minutes later Brierley found Danny Lloyd in the area and again his shot went just wide.

Walsall were launching sporadic attacks but on 23 minutes, Tom Knowles unleashed a shot from 20 yards out which hit the left hand post and then the right but still didn't go in.

From the subsequent throw in, Manny Monthe, Liam Kinsella and Brandon Comley combined with an untidy tangle in the area seeing the ball eventually coming to Matt who scored from close range.

But after this there were warning signs for Walsall before the double blow which followed, Abraham Odoh shooting just wide for Rochdale and Evans having to be at his best to tip a low shot from D'Mani Mellor round the post four minutes before the break.

From the subsequent corner the ball came to Max Taylor outside the area and he sent it goal wards, with Ian Henderson turning it in for the equaliser.

If that was a body blow there was more to follow just a minute from half time when Odoh saw his shot hit the underside of the bar and it came back into the path of Lloyd who turned the ball home and delighted the home crowd who were now dreaming of the great escape.

But Walsall got back in it just five minutes into the second half when Liam Kelly was caught by Knowles in possession on the half way line and the latter took it on and slotted it past goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell to equalise.

And they thought it was three on 54 minutes when Matt had the ball in the net after receiving it from a corner, although it took a deflection and was subsequently disallowed, possibly for offside.

There was no mistaking Rochdale's third though two minutes later when Taylor turned and shot fiercely and accurately from a tight angle after receiving the ball on the edge of the box from a corner - Evans had no chance.

Hutchinson went close for Walsall as did Mellor for Rochdale before the home side got their fourth on 64 minutes though it may still be being talked about at the end of the season.

Evans recovered brilliantly from his mistake as the ball headed for goal and clearly caught it the right side of the line but despite the protests, the goal was given.

Flynn made three substitutions quickly and one of them nearly paid off when Conor Willkinson broke through into the area and saw his shot saved by O'Donnell.

But Walsall couldn't make any further progress and ultimately, despite the controversy, they won't be happy to have been beaten by two clear goals by the bottom side.

Teams

Walsall (3-2-3-2): Evans, White, (C) Gordon (Labadie 63), Monthe, Riley (Stevens 70), Kinsella (Wilkinson 70), Knowles, Comley (Maddox 64), Matt, Hutchinson, Low.

SubsNot Used: Williams, McEntee, Stevens. Songo'o

Rochdale (4-4-2):O'Donnell, Taylor, Ebanks-Landell (C), Kelly (Ball 89), Mellor , Odoh (Mullarkey 84), Keohane, Brierley, Dodgson , Lloyd (Graham 77), Henderson

Subs Not Used: Eastwood, Seriki, Quigley, John,

Attendance: 3,090