Port Vale 0 Walsall 5 - Report and pictures
Five-star Walsall were forced to settle for a place in the League One play-offs despite a fantastic performance that saw them thrash Port Vale.
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Two goals from Anthony Forde together with strikes from Paul Downing, Tom Bradshaw and Sam Mantom saw the Saddlers run riot in a resounding 5-0 win at Vale Park.
But it was Burton Albion who clinched the division's second automatic promotion spot, with Nigel Clough's men creeping over the line with a 0-0 draw at Doncaster.
It means the Saddlers - who end the League One campaign sitting third on 84 points – will now travel to take on Barnsley on Saturday as they aim to go up through the play-offs.
In naming his starting line-up, boss Whitney unsurprisingly kept faith with the team that secured back-to back victories against Shrewsbury and Fleetwood.
It meant the Saddlers continued to operate in an attacking 4-1-4-1 formation with Romaine Sawyers, Kieron Morris, Milan Lalkovic and Anthony Forde all starting in midfield.
But there was a surprise on the substitute's bench, where Isaiah Osbourne was named in a match-day squad for the first time this season.
The 28-year-old former Aston Villa midfielder was snapped up by the Saddlers in the summer, but had been sidelined throughout the campaign with a serious knee ligament injury.
Port Vale included former Walsall defender Ben Purkiss as well as top scorer Ajay Leitch-Smith, who returned following a hamstring strain.
Determined to go on the offensive, the Saddlers came flying out the blocks and almost took a dramatic lead inside 40 seconds.
An Adam Chambers long ball saw Bradshaw beat the offside trap. But with Jak Alnwick coming out to meet him the Welsh striker fired over from a tight angle.
Whitney's men had started well with Sawyers particularly lively as he pulled the strings in central midfield.
They threatened again in the 11th minute when Morris hit a fierce 25-yard drive, which Alnwick did well to beat away.
Rob Page's side had started on the back-foot but they came a whisker away from breaking the deadlock just moments later.
Leitch-Smith burst to the corner of the six-yard box and thundered a strike at goal, which diving goalkeeper Neil Etheridge expertly tipped onto the post.
Sam Foley then drilled a shot from 25-yards, which the Philippines international did well to tip over the crossbar.
Minutes later, though, and the Saddlers were ahead. A corner found its way to Jason Demetriou 35-yards from the goal, with the defender smashing an outrageous drive with rattled the bar.
The ball came back out to Forde who was seized down on the edge of the area, but referee Nigel Miller allowed play to go on with James O'Connor firing at goal.
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His effort was beaten away by Alnwick but only as far as Downing who, from what looked an offside position, headed into an empty net.
The goal sparked wild celebrations amongst the 3,000 travelling Saddlers but before they could catch their breath – Whitney's men doubled their advantage.
After clearing a Port Vale corner, the Saddlers broke four on two with Forde finding Lalkovic in the box.
Alnwick again parried the winger's effort, but Bradshaw was in exactly the right place to head home for his 20th of the campaign.
Despite being two goals behind Vale continued to make it a contest, with Leitch-Smith and Hopper lively up front.
But the Saddlers were at their ruthless best and they made it 3-0 in the 38th minute, with an absolute screamer from Forde.
The Irishman collected the ball 30-yards from goal and arrowed an unstoppable strike, which nestled into the top corner and beyond the outstretched arms of Alnwick.
Whitney's men were now rampant and with the fourth official indicating two minutes of stoppage time, they almost made it four.
Lalkovic tricked his way into the box and hit a strike which beat Alnwick, but Ryan McGivern was expertly placed to guide the ball over the bar.
Page made his first change at the break, with McGivern making way for Sam Kelly.
It was the visitors who started the second period the brighter, with Downing making two crucial tackles in the box to prevent Leitch-Smith and Kelly getting shots away.
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But as the clock ticked past the hour mark the game had lost some of its intensity, with Walsall fans now unable to put down their smartphones as they checked on events at the Keepmoat Stadium.
After Henry had burst into the box and seen a shot blocked Whitney made his first change, by switching Sam Mantom for Morris.
News then filtered through that Doncaster were down to 10 men due to Aaron Taylor-Sinclair coming off injured, with Darren Ferguson having already made three substitutions.
Vale threatened next which Etheridge brilliantly tipping the ball over, after Hooper connected with Foley's cross.
But Walsall went straight up the other end and put the game to bed, with Forde latching on to a loose ball before surging into the box and firing past Alnwick.
In the 71st minute, Walsall made it five with Mantom finding the back of the net with an unstoppable strike from 30-yards which was in the moment it left his boot.
With one eye on the play-offs, Whitney responded by switching Jordy Hiwula for Bradshaw. Jordan Cook then came on for Lalkovic.
The Saddlers almost made it six in the closing stages, Sawyers firing wide and Forde almost grabbing a hat-trick with a curling stike that was saved.
While they left the field moments later having not clinched promotion, the travelling Saddlers fans roared their team off in recongition they had given it everything they could.
