The Saddlers made it back-to-back clean sheets away from home and three unbeaten in the league after a stalemate against Colchester United at the JobServe Community Stadium.
Michael Flynn made two changes to the side that started against league-leaders Leyton Orient. Jacob Maddox and Manny Monthe returned to the starting XI in place of Matty Stevens and Robbie Willmott who were named amongst the substitutes.
There was little to report on in the opening stages as neither side were able to work their way into any fruitful openings.
The first chance of the game didn’t come until the 19th minute when a low ball into the box from the right-hand side was flicked towards goal by Tom Hopper but his effort hit the side netting.
The first chance of note for the Saddlers came on 25 minutes as Liam Gordon drove inside from the left and played the ball to Isaac Hutchinson who did well to find some space and turn back inside before curling a strike towards goal and Kieran O’Hara was on hand to parry away from danger.
Five minutes later and the hosts had another opportunity as Connor Wood’s free-kick delivery from the right-hand side found Luke Chambers who headed towards goal but Owen Evans collected with ease.
Wood then almost put the hosts ahead on 38 minutes as he latched onto the ball and struck towards goal under pressure and his effort kissed the outside of the post, before the linesman deemed the full-back to be in an offside position.
The final chance of the half came for the Saddlers as a maurauding run by captain Donervon Daniels saw the defender play the ball out to Tom Knowles who drilled a cross into the box and Jamille Matt tried his best to turn his flicked effort goalwards but the ball eventually fell into the arms of O’Hara and the two sides went into the break on level terms.
On the stroke of the hour mark, Flynn’s side almost gifted the hosts the lead. A misplaced pass from Gordon back towards Evans saw John Akinde race onto the loose ball but the Saddlers goalkeeper was alert and on hand to retrieve the ball and clear away from danger.
The remainder of the match saw both sides huff and puff but ultimately both defences were solid throughout and protected their goal relatively well.
Flynn made three changes during the second half in a bid to find the all important breakthrough as Willmott, Stevens and Andy Williams were introduced in place of Maddox, Gordon and Matt but in the end the sides had to settle for a point on a bitterly cold evening in Essex.
Attendance: 2577 (161 away)