Walsall 2 Southend 2 - Analysis
On a day of firsts at the Banks's Stadium Darryl Westlake made sure the Walsall public haven't seen the last of him.
The debutant made his bow in the first home game of the season in which Steve Jones and Sam Parkin also netted their maiden Walsall goals.
Dwayne Mattis picked up his first - and the Saddlers' second - red card of the season, while goalkeeper Clayton Ince made the first blooper of the campaign.
Some positive, some negative but there was no ignoring Westlake's prominent debut performance on Saturday.
Every so often, one comes along and makes the grade – in Walsall's case it's usually five or six – but right-back Westlake, just 18, proved he could be the next off the conveyor belt. The admirable way the unflappable teen stuck to his task impressed.
He wasn't overawed in a composed display which will naturally draw comparisons to former peers Dan Fox and Scott Dann. It would be harsh to relegate him to the bench for tomorrow's clash with Leeds. Rhys Weston is back from suspension, but why should he walk back in to the team?
He played his part in an entertaining game which the Saddlers all but tossed away. The hosts were in command thanks to Jones' 12th minute header, before Mattis was sent off just after the hour for two bookings.
Then they imploded. Ince dropped his clanger. The goalkeeper confessed afterwards he was aiming to throw the ball to Jamie Vincent but, after seeing Anthony Grant hovering, tried to stop himself – and only succeeded in teeing up Lee Barnard.
Things had started well enough, when the Saddlers took the lead after 12 minutes. The faultless Westlake tossed in a free kick for Troy Deeney to flick on and, while Matt Heath dallied, Jones raced in to get off the mark.
Any problems were of Walsall's own making, Mark Hughes and Vincent slipped up, but twice the Shrimpers failed to make them pay.
Ince made a couple of routine stops from James Walker but remained untroubled. Opposite number Mildenhall stopped Jones making it 2-0 just after the break, before the game turned just after the hour when Mattis - already booked for a rash challenge on Grant - dived in to Barrett and walked.
Five minutes later it was 1-1 and Clayton's 'Candid Camera' moment, as he tossed the ball to Barnard who couldn't believe his luck.
With the man advantage, the Shrimpers were now first to everything. The pressure told and, on 80 minutes, they went ahead.
Franck Moussa beat Westlake for the first time in the game, Barnard flicked on and former Wolves striker Dougie Freedman stole in ahead of Vincent for 2-1.
The tide had turned and the hosts had just minutes to salvage something. That never looked likely until injury time when Lee Sawyer dangled a leg, Parkin went down and slammed home his first Saddlers goal.
By Nick Mashiter
