Walsall recorded back-to-back away draws as Crawley Town came from behind to claim a point.
The Saddlers deservedly led at half time thanks to Isaac Hutchinson's penalty, his 13th goal of the season.
Crawley improved in the second half and Liam Kelly made their pressure count to level the contest. Mat Sadler made three changes to the team that started Saturday’s defeat to Newport County.Jackson Smith came in for the suspended Owen Evans while Jack Earing and Jamille Matt also came into the team in place of Ryan Stirk and Mo Faal.After a quiet start to the game, the first meaningful effort came from the hosts after 14 minutes when Klaidi Lolos shifted the ball to give himself half a yard and tried to place the it into the bottom corner but his shot trickled just wide.Walsall responded with their first opportunity almost immediately when the ball dropped to Matt but he couldn’t convert when sliding in to meet it.Isaac Hutchinson tested Corey Addai on 19 minutes when he collected the ball 25-yards out and rifled in a shot that the Crawley stopper pushed behind low to his right.The Red Devils threatened on 31 minutes when Lolos threaded it through to Ronan Darcy who pulled the ball across the face of goal but it was eventually cleared by Liam Gordon.The Saddlers were presented with a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the 38th minute when Earing was tripped in the box and the referee pointed to the spot following a fluid move involving Donervon Daniels & Matt.Hutchinson stepped up and he made no mistake from the spot and rolled the ball into the bottom corner to make it two successful penalties in successive away games for the former Crawley loanee.The Saddlers no.8 almost got his second on the stroke of half time following Earing’s cut back but Addai was equal to his left footed strike and pushed it away and that proved to be the last chance of the first half.The Red Devils improved in the second half and put a lot of pressure on the Saddlers defence.They capitalised on 64 minutes when the ball was played into the path of Danilo Orsi and he cut it back to Kelly who lashed the ball into the roof of the net.Sadler turned to his bench on 69 minutes as Matt & Josh Gordon were replaced by Faal & Douglas James-Taylor.Crawley substitute Jack Roles swept in a shot that flew wide as the hosts continued to carry a threat after levelling.Sadler then introduced Ross Tierney on 74 minutes in place of Earing.The Saddlers had a good spell of possession after the alterations but couldn’t fashion a clear cut opportunity.Crawley came really close to taking the lead on 84 minutes when Roles headed goalwards but it was straight at Smith who stopped it but fumbled the ball and it went loose but the Saddlers were able to get it clear. Down the other end, Tierney had two bites of the cherry as his first shot was blocked before his second was fired wide.There was a scare for the visitors right at the death as Harry Forster sent in a shot that just sailed wide but in the end, both teams had to settle for a draw.Smith; Knowles, Okagbue, Farquharson, Daniels, L. Gordon; Hutchinson, Comley, Earing (Tierney 74’), J. Gordon (Faal 69’), Matt (James-Taylor 69’)
Subs: Barrett, Oteh, Allen, Stirk