Walsall 2 Salford City 3 - Report

Jamille Matt had cancelled out Callum Hendry's opener - after on loan Aston Villa striker Louie Barry had been shown a red card for the visitors.

Conor McAleny then came off the bench and looked to have won it for Salford with two minutes of normal time to play.

But the drama continued deep into added time - as after Conor Wilkinson thought he had won, Matty Lund's 97th minute deflected strike broke Saddlers' hearts.

Analysis

Walsall's interim head coach Mat Sadler started his second spell in temporary charge – assisted by an old familiar favourite in Richard O'Kelly.

Sadler was is joint charge of the team with Neil McDonald when Matt Taylor was sacked in February 2022 and took over after Michael Flynn was sacked on Wednesday.

Their first task was to get one over on promotion chasers Salford City, a team who beat Walsall on transfer deadline day when the Saddlers missed out on Danny Johnson.

Salford occupied the final play off spot at the start of play and looked to have more confidence from the start.

With only five minutes on the clock they took the lead when Liam Shephard got the ball from the first corner of the game and his short cross was headed in by Hendry.

It could have been two on eight minutes when Luke Bolton drilled a cross into the box and it was inches away from meeting Matt Smith for a tap in.

Walsall's first chance came on 21 minutes when Liam Gordon got down the left and crossed for Joe Riley whose header was gathered by goalkeeper Alex Cairns.

Salford went close twice just before the break when Adrian Mariappa received the ball from a corner and put a long shot just wide and there was good defending from Walsall to deny Barry.

Barry was deservedly sent off ten minutes into the second half when - with play still going on - he flattened Jow Low who had just tackled him from behind. The referee consulted his linesman who had a clear view of the incident before brandishing a red card.

It spurred Walsall on to an equaliser on 61 minutes when Gordon again got down the left and put the ball in from Matt to head in at the near post for his second goal of the season.

But nobody could have predicted the drama that was to come towards the end and well into injury time.

Even as Walsall were pressing for the winner, McAleny made it 2-1 to Salford on the break two minutes from time when he converted a cross from Lund.

Wilkinson produced a sweet strike for Walsall on 95 minutes to seemingly break Salford's hearts and turn three points into one - it would have been deserved on the second half balance of play.

It wasn't over though and just 30 seconds later, Lund who provided the second scored the third with a deflected shot which saw wild celebrations amongst the visiting fans.

Walsall will feel hard done by on the basis of a much better second half after they settled down after a nervous and hesitant first.

Key Points

5 Goal Salford when Liam Sheppard picks the ball up for a corner and crosses from the right for Callum Hendry to head in

8 Almost two when Luke Bolton crossed low and Matt Smith just couldn't reach it

44 Adrian Mariappa puts long shot just wide of post after receiving the ball from a corner

55 On loan Salford forward Louie Barry is sent off for hitting Joe Low off the ball when he objected to a challenge.

61 GOAL Walsall. A great cross from Liam Gordon is met with a diving header from captain for the day Jamille Matt.

88 GOAL Salford on the break move the ball down the left through Matthew Lund who crossed for Conor McAleny to make it 2-1

95 GOAL Walsall: Conor Wilkinson made it 2-2 with a great strike for Walsall

96 GOAL Salford: Lund , another substitute with a scruffy, deflected effort wins it for Salford

Teams

Walsall: Evans, Gordon, Monthe, Riley, Knowles, Comley, Maddox (James-Taylor 75), McEntee (Kinsella 89), Matt (Wilkinson 81) Hutchinson, Low.

Subs not used: Smith, Stevens, Maher, Songo'o

Salford: (4-2-3-1): Cairns, Touray, Watt (Lund 81), Hendry (Galbraith 89), Mallan, Mariappa, Smith, Barry, Bolton, Shephard McAleny 72), Vassell

Subs not used: Bellagambi, Low, Jenkins, Leak

Attendance: 5,208