Stockport County 3 Walsall 1 - Report
Walsall's three-match winning streak in League Two came to an end, as they lost 3-1 against leaders Stockport County at Edgeley Park.
The game took a long time to burst into life, but once it did, Douglas James-Taylor was quick to cancel out Akil Wright's strike from distance in stoppage time.
The hosts retook the lead in the 55th minute when Isaac Olaofe was on hand to head in the rebound after Callum Camps' free-kick crashed off the crossbar.
Paddy Madden marked his appearance from the bench by converting from the spot, after Connor Lemonheigh-Evans was upended by Liam Gordon.
Stockport ended their three-match winless run, whilst Walsall suffered a first league defeat in four.
Stockport dominated the early possession but the game seriously lacked a creative spark from either side.
The first chance fell to Odin Bailey when he ghosted in at the back post to meet Wright's cross and force an excellent finger-tip save from Jackson Smith.
Knowles drew a comfortable stop from Hinchliffe with a low shot from distance, but it took until stoppage time for the first half to explode into life.
There was a lengthy stoppage after the linesman required medical attention following a collision with a Stockport defender.
Once the action resumed, Gordon squandered a gilt-edged chance when he was unable to keep his header down from Knowles' inviting cross.
At the other end, Walsall could only partially clear Camps' corner and Bailey collected the loose ball to find Wright.
The defender drove a powerful low effort into the far bottom corner from range to break the deadlock, and score his second goal in four games.
But Stockport's lead would last less than two minutes because James-Taylor hauled the Saddlers in level at the break.
Knowles delivered a pinpoint corner to the near post and James-Taylor escaped his marker to guide a bullet header past Hinchliffe, as he scored in back-to-back league games for the first time in his career.
Stockport restored their lead 10 minutes after the restart when Olaofe netted his 15th goal of the season in all competitions.
Camps crashed his curling free-kick against the woodwork and the ball trickled across the goal-line for Olaofe to head into an empty net.
The Hatters looked to kill the game off with an immediate third and Smith was forced into two important stops to deny Lemonheigh-Evans and Kyle Wootton.
Mat Sadler responded by introducing Josh Gordon for his second Saddlers debut, and Knowles came close with a low shot, which was saved by Hinchliffe at his near post.
That would be the closest Walsall came to salvaging the game, and Dave Challinor shuffled his cards, as Nick Powell and Madden entered the drama.
Liam Gordon clumsily hacked down Lemonheigh-Evans inside the box, and referee Ben Atkinson immediately pointed to the spot. Madden stepped up and smashed it down the middle to extend Stockport's advantage.
Teams
Walsall (3-1-4-2): Smith; Okagbue, Farquharson, Daniels; Comley; Knowles, Earing (Stirk 74), Hutchinson, L Gordon (Allen 80); James-Taylor, D Johnson (J Gordon 61).
Subs not used: Evans, Foulkes, Adegboyega, Maher.
Stockport (4-4-2): Hinchliffe; Wright, Horsfall, Byrne, Bristow; Lemonheigh-Evans, Camps (Powell 73), Croasdale, Bailey; Wootton (Madden 73), Olaofe (Cotterill 89).
Subs not used: Jordan Smith, Mee, Okeke, C Johnson.
Referee: Ben Atkinson
Attendance: 9,742
