Will Grigg levelled in stoppage time after Jamie Paterson had pulled a goal back with just 30 seconds of normal time left.

Second-half goals from Jamie Proctor and Paul Hayes looked to have settled a scrappy game, in which the visitors were fortunate to be ahead.

But Paterson’s deflected effort and Grigg’s 19^th goal of the season stretched Walsall’s unbeaten run to nine games.

The late drama belied a poor game which leaves Walsall ninth in League One, three points adrift of the play-offs.

The Saddlers were unchanged while Crawley included Mat Sadler, who left the Banks’s Stadium to join the Reds last summer.

It was a low-key start with only Paterson’s clever ball evading the on-rushing Sam Mantom after 12 minutes.

Both teams toiled without any real quality with defences easily containing the respective threats.

Connor Essam was booked for hauling down Grigg as he threatened to break 25 yards out but Craig Westcarr only ballooned the 35th minute free kick over.

Immediately after the re-start Grigg tested Paul Jones after charging down a defensive clearance while Jamie Proctor sliced a snap-shot wide on 48 minutes.

It was more action inside the first three minutes of the second half than in the entire first period and Brandy forced Jones into a low save on 52 minutes after Grigg’s tenacious work.

But 60 seconds later Crawley went ahead after Proctor was afforded space 25 yards out to fire past Aaron McCarey.

It was the cue for the game to burst into life and McCarey’s fine reaction stop denied Hayes and James Chambers deflected Proctor’s follow up over on 59 minutes.

And from the resulting corner the Saddlers broke with Paterson feeding Brandy, only for Jones to save his low effort.

Nicky Featherstone struck a tame effort at Jones soon after as the hosts began to turn up the heat.

And they almost levelled with 25 minutes left when the increasingly bright Paterson ran at the Crawley defence, only for his shot to strike the inside of the post.

Any Taylor’s free kick was easily claimed by Jones before disaster struck with 20 minutes left.

Sadler delivered a deep cross to the unmarked Adams whose header was brilliantly saved by McCarey – only for Hayes to steal in ahead of Paul Downing to follow up for 2-0.

Adam almost scored a third on the break but a combination of McCarey and Andy Butler denied him with 15 minutes left.

The second goal had rocked the Saddlers but they launched a late rally when Paterson’s shot deflected in off Essam with 30 seconds of normal time left.

And they grabbed a dramatic equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time when Grigg rammed in at the far post after Taylor’s wonderful cross.