The Saddlers have made it through to the third round of the Staffordshire Senior Cup after a victory on penalties at Hanley Town last night.
The match was scoreless after 90 minutes, leading to a tense shoot-out at Potteries Park in which every player left on the pitch took a spot kick, deep into sudden death.
Finally it came down to the goalkeepers, with Saddlers stopper Brandon Ganley smashing his spot kick into the top-right corner before saving from his opposite number to ensure John Ward’s side advanced to the next stage.
The first chance of the match fell to winger Tobias Hayles-Docherty, with the 18-year-old firing just over the bar after cutting in from the left flank.
Hanley took the ball down the other end in the seventh minute and caused problems - striker Daniel Cope was released behind the back-line with a ball over the top and got to the ball ahead of the onrushing Ganley.
The ball looped over the Saddlers’ keeper but did not reach the goal, and Ward’s men were able to clear their lines.
The Saddlers came closer towards the end of the first half - first Stefan Mason saw a deflected effort from 25 yards loop just wide of the goal before Mitch Candlin hit the side-netting with a fierce low drive from just outside the area.
Candlin turned his marker well a minute shy of the break but saw his rasping shot deflected behind again, just after Cope had found space in the box and got a shot off at goal, only to fire wide of the target.
Kory Roberts was alert to the danger in the second half as Mike Conlan’s shot looked set to nestle in the back of the net, only for the Saddlers’ captain to get across and clear the ball off the line.
In the 55th minute, Cameron Peters broke down the right channel and had space to cut in near the byline before pulling the ball back to Tyreece Ruddock, who fired over as the ball bobbled on its way to the winger.
The Saddlers thought they had won it in added time at the end of the second half - the ball fell loose in the box to both substitute Debert Massamba and then Peters, but neither could get the ball over the line as both shots were blocked.
It went then to penalties, with Ganley taking and stopping what would prove to be the match-winning penalties.
SADDLERS: Ganley, Tonks, Fisher, Mason, Vann, Roberts (capt), Ruddock (Massamba 59), Shorrock, Peters, Candlin, Hayles-Docherty. Subs not used: Little, Dawe, Leak, O’Sullivan.