Bakayoko on target again from 12 yards...
Amadou Bakayoko scored his third penalty in two games as Walsall held Championship side Birmingham to a well-deserved draw.The young forward put the Saddlers ahead from the spot on 53 minutes after Erhun Oztumer had been fouled, but Paul Caddis’ 80th-minute free-kick ensured the match finished level.
Both sides passed the ball crisply in the early exchanges without really threatening.
Birmingham’s Reece Brown had the game’s first meaningful attempt on 21 minutes when he bent a right-footed effort over from 20 yards.
Chances were in short supply, although the visitors were getting more sights of goal.
Koby Arthur drilled a powerful drive wide of Craig MacGillivray’s near-post, and the home goalkeeper then held Viv Solomon-Otabor’s well-struck free-kick.
Despite some promising build-up play from the Saddlers, it wasn’t until nine minutes before half-time that they first tested visiting custodian Tomasz Kuszczak.
Amadou Bakayoko and Kieron Morris combined, with the latter unleashing a rasping left-footed strike which stung Kuszczak’s palms.
Gary Rowett’s Blues responded with Clayton Donaldson heading straight at MacGillivray and the lively Solomon-Otabor having an effort deflected wide.
The Championship side almost broke the deadlock within 60 seconds of the resumption, when Donaldson nipped in behind the defence and fired just over on the half-volley.
But instead it was Walsall who edged in front on 53 minutes, courtesy of a penalty from Bakayoko – his third in two games – after Oztumer had been felled by Michael Morrison.
Birmingham went close to a leveller 17 minutes from time, when Andrew Shinnie’s strike from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection and rolled agonisingly wide.
But the Blues did restore parity seven minutes later, as Caddis curled a right-footed free-kick into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Team: MacGillivray, Edwards (Kinsella 67’), Henry (Peters 75’), O’Connor (Roberts 75’), McCarthy (Preston 67’), Chambers (Sangha 67’), Cuvelier (Kouhyar 45’), Oztumer (Shorrock 67’), Morris (Cockerill-Mollett 75’), Bakayoko (Tonks 75’), Osbourne (Dobson 67’).