Walsall 2 Carlisle 2 - Verdict
Walsall were denied back-to-back home wins as Richard Keogh's injury time equaliser saved Carlisle at the Banks's Stadium.
The defender nodded in Graham Kavanagh's cross, just as Steve Jones' 70th minute effort looked to have won it for the Saddlers.
Jones had only been on the pitch for four minutes when he followed up, after Troy Deeney's stunner had hit the post.
Darren Byfield's second goal in two games gave them the lead, but Matt Robson's blockbuster levelled a minute before the break.
The Saddlers stuck with an unchanged line-up from Tuesday's 2-1 win against Huddersfield, with Clayton McDonald playing his last game before the end of his loan spell – although the club are hopeful of extending the deal.
Manny Smith returned to the bench, after three games out with a knee injury.
The hosts started well without seriously threatening goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley, but the game soon slipped into a malaise – though after 24 minutes United should have taken the lead.
Robson hesitated after Rhys Weston's clearance cannoned into his path off Mark Hughes and the Saddlers cleared.
It sparked the visitors into life and former Albion man Scott Dobie just missed Robson's cross, after the winger left Weston and Alex Nicholls for dead.
But the Saddlers took the lead with their first real chance of the game on 33 minutes.
Dwayne Mattis' driving run found Matt Richards, who in turn fed Byfield to capitalise on David Raven's slip and find the corner from 10 yards.
It was an important goal, as United had just begun to find their rhythm.
Carlisle tried to respond and Hughes flung himself in front of Dobie to deny the hitman a certain goal and a minute later Deeney forced Pidegley into a smart save.
A minute before the break the visitors levelled when Robson, who had been dangerous all half, picked up a loose ball and with Weston back peddling unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard drive.
Richards should have restored the Saddlers' lead a minute after the break,but sliced wide as the United defence went to pieces.
From then it was tit-for-tat between two very even sides.
But, four minutes after his 70th minute introduction, Jones put the Saddlers ahead when Deeney's thunderbolt struck the inside of the post and he netted the rebound.
And the hosts looked to be holding on until Keogh's late intervention.
