A first goal in professional football from teenager Sam Perry wasn’t’t enough to earn the Saddlers their first win under Head Coach Brian Dutton as two second half goals from Bolton Wanderers secured them all three points.
After just 45 seconds, the home side had a shot on target as Oladapo Afolayan took aim from just outside the 18-yard box but it was straight at Liam Roberts.
Moments before the goal, the influential Emmanuel Osadebe had the chance to break the deadlock after good work from Caolan Lavery which allowed the striker to play Osadebe in but his effort was straight at goalkeeper Matt Gilks.
But with 28 minutes on the clock, Perry picked the ball up 25-yards out and on the half-volley, he unleashed a left-footed screamer and his effort found the bottom corner of Gilks’ net.
As the home side grew into the game, they got themselves level when Max Melbourne blocked a cross which forced Roberts to parry the ball back into the area and Kieran Lee was on hand to just head the ball into an empty net.
Six minutes after their equaliser, the home side gained another advantage as Hayden White was shown a straight red card by the referee after a scuffle with Afolayan off the ball.
And just five minutes after the red card, the home side completed the turn around when Mat Sadler was adjudged to have tripped Lee inside the area and from the penalty spot, Eoin Doyle placed the ball past Roberts for his 15th of the season.
Despite throwing bodies forward at the end of the game and a late penalty shout turned down for the Saddlers, the home side saw the game out and secured the win.