Walsall Res 0 Albion Res 0

Ishmael Miller made his comeback from injury as Walsall and Albion's second strings played out a drab bore draw at the Banks's Stadium.

Miller made his first appearance for almost a month and completed 70 minutes on his comeback from an ankle injury while Giles Barnes played his first 90 minutes in Baggies colours as he strives for full fitness.

And there was good news for Walsall too as Steve Jones continued his rehabilitation from calf trouble while Rhys Weston played a full match as he fights back from a hamstring tear.

The Saddlers also gave a full game to American trialist Jonathan Borrajo, who played at right-back but was given a torrid time by Dutchman Andy Slory.

Both Jones and Albion's Joss Labadie missed with woeful penalties but there was little else to warm a crowd of 309.

Barnes made a couple of positive early runs with some clever footwork but he could not deliver a telling pass.

And it was Miller who almost made the first breakthrough after some good work in midfield by Slory. Miller burst into the box but Netan Sansara made a timely tackle.

Then the Baggies went even closer as Joss Labadie's shot was blocked and Kayleden Brown's follow-up was pushed by Clayton Ince into the body of Mark Hughes with the deflection striking the woodwork and bouncing to safety.

Walsall's first sight of goal came on 15 minutes when Albion took their time clearing from the edge of the penalty area and Richard Davies screwed a shot wide.

Two minutes later the visitors should have been in front when Slory made a darting run down the left and crossed for Miller but he blazed a shot over the crossbar.

Slory was causing major problems Borrajo and he opened up the Saddlers again with a pacy run.

His cross found its way to Brown at the far post but his shot was blocked by Ince.

The game died away but Albion had another chance on the stroke of half-time as a left-wing corner was headed goalwards by Miller but Hughes Mark Hughes bundled it off the line comfortably.

Miller was fed on the edge of the box by Barnes early in the second half but his shot on the turn was held well by Ince.

The Baggies went close again on 53 minutes when the offside flag controversially stayed down when the ball was hoisted into the Walsall box and Miller saw his shot blocked by Ince.

On 58 minutes referee James Adcock intervened when he awarded a bizarre penalty for an alleged push by George Thorne at a corner but justice was done when Joned blazed the spot-kick way over the bar.

Moments later Miller was guilty of a miss almost as poor when he sprinted onto a Sam Mantom through-ball and found himself in a one-on-one with Ince, only to lift his shot over the bar.

With 14 minutes to go substitute Lateef Elford-Alliyu cut in from the left and blasted a shot over the crossbar.

In stoppage time Labadie was felled by Sansara in the box but his tame penalty was saved by Ince.

Walsall (4-4-2): Ince; Borrajo, Weston, Hughes (Hickman, 74), Sansara; Geddes, Davies, Bradley, Adkins (McCourt, 80); Paterson, Jones (Partridge, 65). Subs (not used): Wren, Wood.

Albion (4-5-1): Kiely; Thorne, Malcolm, Connolly, Waghorne; Brown, Barnes, Mantom, Labadie, Slory; Miller (Elford-Alliyu, 70). Subs (not used): Allsop, Grier, Lynch, Berahino.