Walsall 1 Colchester 0

Ten-man Walsall stunned promotion chasing Colchester after Darren Byfield's last minute winner.

Byfield's first goal since December made light of the Saddlers losing skipper Mark Hughes to a straight red card in first-half injury time.

The captain was sent off after bringing down Ashley Vincent, despite appearing to get the ball.

But Byfield struck at the death after racing through to hold off two challenges to slot under goalkeeper Ben Williams.

Anthony Wordsworth's strike was disallowed for offside in the second-half, while Steven Gillespie hit the post for Colchester.

Dwayne Mattis and Hughes returned after the 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient, as Netan Sansara and Darryl Westlake dropped out.

Richard Taundry moved to right-back with Jamie Vincent slotting into his natural left-back spot.

Both teams opened well and with 10 minutes gone Kevin Lisbie broke the Saddlers' offside trap only to find goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin in fine form, denying the striker with a fine block.

That aside, it was a scrappy encounter with neither side able to force the issue in the early stages.

But the Saddlers conjured a golden chance on 16 minutes, when Julian Gray's superb centre was met by Mattis but Williams' reflexes denied the midfielder the opening goal.

Gray was a danger on the wing and the home side were comfortable against their play-off chasing visitors – who barely looked like a team gunning for promotion.

The hosts' grit and guile had given them the edge in a game full of attrition but little quality

But the Saddlers were hit with Hughes' dismissal in first -alf stoppage time, when the skipper went in hard on Vincent and was given his marching orders to the disbelief of the Banks's Stadium.

The defender won the ball and while Vincent's theatrics didn't help, referee Geoff Eltringham was too quick to dish out the red.

Walsall regrouped at half-time, with Gray moving to left-back as Vincent went inside but crucially they kept both Troy Deeney and Alex Nicholls up front.

The Saddlers had a battle on their hands but the early signs in the second-half suggested they were up for the fight.

With the numerical advantage Colchester threatened and the Saddlers escaped with 20 minutes remaining, when Wordsworth's strike was ruled offside after Gilmartin's splendid save from Clive Platt.

The stopper was in action again soon after, palming away David Prutton's drive before collecting the midfielder's 18-yard effort.

Walsall were struggling to keep the ball and were lucky to survive when Gillespie's lob bounced off the bar.

But there was more late drama, when Byfield burst clear down the right in injury time and slotted in.