Walsall 2 Charlton 0
Saturday 30th April 2011, 5:09PM BST.
Walsall stand on the brink of the Great Escape after a stunning win over Charlton.
Goals from Will Grigg and Julian Gray kept the Saddlers one point ahead of fourth-bottom Dagenham & Redbridge and sent the League One survival battle to the last day.
Walsall go to Southampton while the Daggers – who beat Carlisle 3-0 today – travel to Peterborough knowing they must beat the Saddlers’ result to survive.
Bristol Rovers’ 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday all-but-confirmed their relegation due to their inferior goal difference.
Walsall’s win owed everything to a first-half attacking verve and second-half nerves of steel as they rode out brief Charlton pressure.
They bossed the former Premier League outfit to complete a notable double – following a 1-0 win at the Valley in December.
The Saddlers were unchanged from Monday’s 1-1 draw at Oldham and immediately took the game to the Addicks.
But they should have fallen behind after just two minutes, when Paul Benson was left unmarked only to power his header from Nathan Ecclestone’s cross against the base of the post.
It was a huge let-off and the Saddlers almost made the most of it 10 minutes in, when goalkeeper Rob Elliot saved well from Jon Macken and Simon Francis blocked Gray’s follow-up.
Walsall were playing with a tempo befitting to the occasion and Matt Richards drove just wide from 25-yards following Gray’s quick free kick.
Jordan Cook was the next to have Charlton sweating after unleashing a rasping effort from 30-yards which forced Elliot into a sprawling save after 15 minutes.
But Walsall were almost pushed for some slack defending when Therry Racon sliced wide at the far post.
‘Shoot on site’ had seemingly been the message for the dressing room, as Marc Laird and Macken screwed strikes wide.
But Walsall needed to take their chances and – despite dominating – survived a scare on 27 minutes when Michael Stewart cut in from the left and drilled wide.
The Addicks were there for the taking, though, and Walsall finally got their first-half rewards on 33 minutes.
Richard Taundry’s cross from the right was knocked down by Macken for Grigg to guide the ball low into the corner from 16-yards.
Laird’s acrobatic volley dipped over minutes later as Walsall searched for a second but they were vulnerable on the break and Racon twice tested goalkeeper Jimmy Walker with low efforts.
The Addicks came out fighting after the break and Benson headed over as the tension levels rose at the Banks’s Stadium.
Walsall soaked up the pressure and aimed to hit the visitors on the break and almost doubled their lead on the hour, when Cook’s stunning 25-yard drive smacked off the bar.
It only increased the pressure as the Saddlers hung on to their slender lead – knowing they needed a second for some breathing space.
Darren Byfield replaced scorer Grigg with 15 minutes remaining and, two minutes later, Walsall got the priceless second.
The Addicks were stretched at the back and Cook burst clear to cross for Macken, whose shot was saved by Elliot, but Gray stroked in the rebound from 10 yards to wrap up the points.
Latest Blog — A week is a long time in football
This time last week we were staring down the barrel, third from bottom with a worse record than at the same stage last year, writes Saddlers blogger Mark Jones.
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Brilliant, ball’s in our court now. I can’t see the Daggers getting anything at the Posh. I think the Posh will score at least two goals, although I think that there is also a possibility we will get beat at the Saints. So as long as the Daggers don’t go on a scoring spree, we should be safe.
I reckon that more “supporters” will go to Southampton than have been turning up at the home games. 3200 have been allocated to us but I think more than that will be their.
To be 8 points adrift at Christmas and to all intents & purposes “dead” we have made a remarkable recovery.
Also think that this was our 80th game without having a penalty…… strange that!!!
Need to start planning then for next season, don’t want this again.
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Why call them “supporters” in such a patronising way Gerald? I’m proud of everyone that turned up today when there club needed them more than it has in years. Of course supporters focus more on bigger games – thats the nature of football as well as other priorities in life!
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I was at banks’s saturday and it was clear the fans were behind the players and management for 1 reason and 1 reason only and thats survival!! Dean Smith is the way forward!! Hope the Saddlers complete the job next week against Southampton!!!
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Well done, very nice turn around.
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sorry Rob I did not mean to be patronising, I’ve watched the Saddlers for over 50 years, so did my father & his father before him, probably 120 – 130 years worth.
Just meant that I think the following could be better at St Mary’s 175 miles away than have been watching at home, showing the passion we have for the Saddlers.
But back to the penalty issue would like it to be on Saturday in the 94th minute with the score at 2-2. Why can’t we get a pen?
Wonder what the record is?
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