Walsall 0-0 Accrington report: Saddlers settle for drab goalless stalemate
Walsall were forced to settle for a goalless draw in a drab affair against Accrington Stanley at Bescot.
Daniel Kanu had the best chance for either side when he rattled the crossbar with a thumping header with 15 minutes to go.
Walsall dropped to fifth due to results elsewhere and slipped eight points adrift of league leaders Bromley who beat Swindon Town 2-1.
The Saddlers started the weekend fresh off the back of registering their first win of 2026 with a 3-1 triumph at Tranmere Rovers last weekend.
Meanwhile, Accrington suffered a 2-0 home defeat against MK Dons after winning each of their three games prior.
Mat Sadler named an unchanged team from the trip to Merseyside, as new signing Alex Pattison made his home debut.
Chances were at a premium during the first half with Pattison coming closest for Walsall when he drove a low shot into the side netting from an acute angle.
Isaac Heath struck straight at Myles Roberts from the edge of the box and Paddy Madden guided a stooping header comfortably wide at the near post.
Walsall switched off at the back when Madden slotted Shaun Whalley into the box, but Aden Flint made the flick and Roberts unconvincingly parried over his crossbar.
Pattison had another sight of goal when Accrington failed to deal with a teasing free-kick delivery by Evan Weir.
Priestley Farquharson and Jamille Matt helped the ball on, before it eventually popped out to Pattison. His initial effort was blocked and his follow-up was blazed over the crossbar.
Vincent Harper delivered two threatening crosses from the left to create two chances for Jamie Jellis after the break.
Jellis headed straight at Ollie Wright from the first and hooked an overhead kick over the bar after Kanu had failed to connect with his header at the near post.
Charlie Lakin and Courtney Clarke were introduced midway into the second period just as Walsall started to build up a head of steam.
Kanu came within a whisker of paint from breaking the deadlock when he crashed his header against the post from a devilish free-kick delivery from Weir.
That was to be his last action of the game as Sadler introduced Aaron Loupalo-Bi and Aaron Pressley for the closing stages.
They didn't attack with the same intensity after the substitutions, although Weir nearly snatched three points when his header was tipped over in stoppage time.
Next, Walsall welcome Crawley Town to Bescot on Tuesday night, before travelling to Chesterfield next Saturday.
Teams
Walsall (3-1-4-2): Roberts; Farquharson, Flint, Weir; Comley; Barrett (Adomah 90 +1), Jellis (Clarke 65), Pattison (Lakin 65), Harper; Matt (Pressley 78), Kanu (Loupalo-Bi 78).
Not used: Hornby, Lopata.
Accrington (3-1-4-2): Wright; Love, Rawson, Matthews; O'Brien, Conneely (Grant 79), Sinclair, Heath; Whalley, Henderson; Madden.
Not used: Kelly, Sass, Caton, Brown, Butterfield, Woods.
Other details
Referee: Elliott Swallow
