Fleetwood 0 Walsall 1 - Report and pictures

Walsall made it back-to-back wins under interim boss Jon Whitney and kept their automatic promotion dream alive with a narrow 1-0 victory at Fleetwood.

[gallery]

Tom Bradshaw's 17th goal of the season was enough to see the Saddlers move level with on points with Wigan in the League One automatic promotion spots.

After a disappointing first-half, Welsh striker Bradshaw put Walsall ahead in the 50th minute.

But Whitney's men were hugely indebted to goalkeeper Neil Etheridge who, in stoppage time, produced an outstanding one-handed save to secure points.

In naming his starting line-up, Whitney unsurprisingly kept faith with the team that secured a 4-1 victory at Chesterfield on Saturday.

It meant the Saddlers continued to operate in a 3-5-2 formation with Jordy Hiwula partnering Bradshaw up front.

For Fleetwood, top scorer Bobby Grant missed out through suspension while, ex-Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi was named amongst the substitutes.

Despite beginning the game sitting 19th in League One, Steven Pressley's side remained unbeaten at Highbury Stadium in 2016.

Walsall: Etheridge, Taylor, O'Connor, Downing, Henry, Demetriou, Chambers, Mantom, Sawyers, Hiwula, Bradshaw.

Subs not used: MacGillivray, Forde, Lalkovic, Preston, Flanagan, Kinsella, Morris.

Fleetwood Town: Maxwell; McLaughlin, Nilsson, Davis, Bell, Jonsson, Ryan, Grant, Burns, Ball, Hunter.[/breakout]

But they were fortunate not to find themselves behind in the opening minutes after Andy Taylor was hauled down on the edge of the area.

Man of the moment Sam Mantom stood over the free-kick and clipped a wonderful effort that looked destined to find the bottom corner but instead brushed along the side netting.

Fleetwood responded with Wes Burns unleashing a dipping and curling strike from 25-yards which whistled inches over Neil Etheridge's crossbar.

And it was the Cod Army who continued to look the more dangerous as the clock ticked towards the 20 minute mark with on-loan Bristol City winger Burns twice testing Etheridge from distance.

Steven Pressley's side were passing and pressing the ball well, with Walsall looking out-of-sorts as they struggled to get their passing game going.

And the hosts went close once again with the lively Burns firing over after he had bought himself some space on the edge of the box with a neat turn.

As the half drew to a close, the Saddlers finally began to get a foothold on the game with Whitney's men showing they still carried a threat when Jason Demetriou delivered a teasing cross.

The ball looked to have sat up perfectly for Mantom at the back post but keeper Chris Maxwell did brilliantly to pounce at the midfielder's feet to keep him out.

Undeterred, the Saddlers continued to press with Rico Henry bursting into the box and hitting a strike which a sliding Joe Davis deflected for a corner.

[comments_cta header="What do you think?" text= "How did you rate the Walsall performance tonight?" button="Log in and start commenting"]

But the half-time whistle soon followed with Walsall making their way off at the break having largely been second best.

Pressley made a change at the break with Devante Cole, who is the son of Manchester United legend Andrew Cole, coming on for Ashley Hunter.

But it was the Saddlers who came flying out the blocks with Whitney's side tacking the lead through a wonderfully worked team goal.

Hiwula found Mantom inside the 'D' with the midfielder then producing an outrageous back-heel to slip Bradshaw in on goal.

The Welshmen still had everything to do but unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top right corner which gave Maxwell no chance.

Buoyed, Walsall went in search of a second with Maxwell producing a fine one-handed save to keep out Romaine Sawyers' effort from 20-yards.

Suddenly the game had become very open with Fleetwood throwing men forward as they chased an equaliser.

Again it was Burns who carried their threat with the forward nut-megging Adam Chambers before hitting a rasping drive which produced a sprawling one-handed save from Etheridge.

Whitney responded with Anthony Forde coming on for Hiwula as Walsall switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation.

[related_posts title="More on Walsall"]

But it was Fleetwood who threatened next with Etheridge claiming well after Davis had connected with a corner.

Whitney was forced into his second change minutes later as skipper Adam Chambers made way after picking up an injury. Liam Kinsella was the man introduced.

With 10 minutes left to play, the game was continuing to be lively with Jimmy Ryan hitting a venomous strike from the edge of box with Etheridge did well to beat away.

Fleetwood were delivering a lot of crosses into the Walsall area but each time they were met with brave and towering catches by Etheridge.

And the Saddlers had their goalkeeper to thank again deep into six minutes of stoppage time as he produced one of the saves of the season.

A right-wing cross found Cole in the box with the striker arrowing a drive towards the top corner which looked destined to burst the net.

But Etheridge, who was originally going the wrong way, produced an incredible full-stretch stop to keep the ball out and win his side the points.