Rushall 5 Walsall 0

Walsall paid the penalty for sending a young and inexperienced side to Dales Lane as Rushall crashed in four goals in the closing 22 minutes.

The hosts enjoyed the best possible start when, with four minutes on the watch, a defensive error from the visitors on their right let in Dave Haywood.

He ran in towards the edge of the penalty area and unleashed an unstoppable drive, that flew into the top right corner past Tom Cox.

Despite the early setback, the Saddlers gamefully fought back. In the ninth minute, only an excellent defensive block by Pics skipper Lee Barrow kept a smart close range drive from trialist David Nicklas at bay.

In the 26th minute, the lively Harry Harris was enjoying himself on his return to Dales Lane. He was picked out in a dangerous position on the left side of the box, but his eventual snapshot took a deflection off Lee Barrow and Tony Breeden held well.

Three minutes later, Haywood almost doubled his tally when only a last ditch block sent the wing-backs powerful low drive over the bar.

Six minutes prior to the interval, Walsall were denied an equaliser, when an excellent one footed save from Breeden kept out Will Grigg’s smart low strike.

The turning point of the game came 11 minutes into the second period. A double substitution saw long term injury absentee Paul Szewczyk make an extremely welcome comeback. He and former Walsall youngster Jamie Silver came on for Todd Perry and Alan Wilkes.

Within a minute the two had combined, with the latter feeding the experienced frontrunner with a well time through ball but his attempted lob was plucked out of the air by the keeper.

A defensive error doubled Rushall’s advantage in the 68th minute, when central defender David Nicklas headed the ball past his own keeper, who had advanced out of his area to clear up.

Nathan Lamey was handed the simplest of tasks, to roll home into an unguarded net from just inside the box.

The 78th minute saw the home side extend their lead further. A point blank save from the Walsall custodian denied Lamey, only to see the danger repelled as far as Richard Beale lurking on the edge of the box ,who drilled an unstoppable return drive into the bottom left corner.

Two minutes later, with the Saddlers fighting gamely on, the woodwork came to Rushall’s rescue following a long range drive. Moments later Breeden was called into action to make a fine save.

Rushall soon proved themselves to be far less profligate than their guests, when with four minutes remaining Szewczyk marked his return to action after a six month lay-off.

He received an inch perfect ball 12 yards out and firing home into the roof of the net, signalling a celebration that showed exactly what it meant to him to be back in business.

On the stoke of full-time Olympic claimed a fifth goal. A Richard Beale corner from the left was nodded back across goal by Szewczyk and Todd Perry made no mistake at close quarters with a powerful header.