Cheltenham Town 2-2 Walsall: Saddlers drop points after blowing a two-goal lead

Ellis Harrison opened the scoring inside the opening 60 seconds when he pounced on Oisin McEntee's parried header at the back post to score his second goal for the club. 

Albert Adomah came off the bench to double Walsall's lead after capitalising on an error from Sam Stubbs to score his 99th professional goal. 

But former Saddlers striker George Miller halved the deficit in the final minute of normal time and Jordan Thomas salvaged a point for the Robins in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Sadler faced predecessor Michael Flynn on his 100th game in charge of Walsall and named an unchanged XI from the 2-0 win at Morecambe on Saturday.

Cheltenham had won each of their last three home games before kick-off and were also unchanged from their 3-0 win at Newport County on the weekend.

It took less than 60 seconds for Walsall to hit the front when Harrison pounced at the back post to prod home from a matter of yards.

Jamie Jellis launched a long throw towards the near post and Cheltenham goalkeeper Day clawed McEntee's flicked header into the danger area where Harrison was on hand to convert.

Walsall made a rip roaring start with Connor Barrett and Liam Gordon both bombing down the flanks and Jamille Matt serving as a dangerous focal point in attack. 

Cheltenham did create chances in the opening exchanges. Matty Taylor blazed over from the edge of the box and Ethan Williams drew a comfortable save out of Tommy Simkin with a free-kick. 

The hosts wrestled back the initiative after the quarter-hour mark but failed to stretch Simkin with the Walsall goalkeeper making easy work of Luke Young's tame free-kick from distance.

The midfield dynamics worked well again with Ryan Stirk and Brandon Comley settling the game down, as Jellis constantly floated with intent between the lines. 

Cheltenham felt they had a legitimate call for a penalty turned away eight minutes before the break when Williams went down under a challenge from Barrett inside the box. 

Flynn's charges had the lion's share of possession during the opening exchanges of the second half, although they were hardly able to get out of their own half, which was credit to the Walsall press. 

Barrett had a presentable chance to double Walsall's lead when McEntee's header deflected kindly into his path but the Walsall wing-back was always leaning back as he scooped his effort over. 

Tom Bradbury passed up a good chance for Cheltenham when he miscued his header from close-range after Williams had swung a dangerous free-kick into the penalty area.

Levi Amantchi and Adomah were introduced for the last 20 minutes and the latter marked his emergence from the bench by doubling Walsall's lead.

Stubbs inexplicably gifted the ball to Adomah who was quick on his toes to round the onrushing Day and tap into an empty net 11 minutes from time.

Miller almost halved the deficit after coming on but his back post header was impressively repelled by Simkin at his near post.

He would not be denied at the second time of asking when he drilled a low volley into the far bottom corner after a shot from distance deflected invitingly into his path. 

Cheltenham then stunned Walsall deep into stoppage time when substitute Thomas rifled a low shot beyond the reach of Simkin to rescue a point. 

Next, Walsall welcome Swindon Town to Bescot on Saturday afternoon before travelling to Cumbria to face Carlisle United next Tuesday. 

Teams 

Walsall (3-1-4-2): Simkin; McEntee, Okagbue, Allen; Comley; Barrett, Jellis, Stirk, L Gordon; Matt (Amantchi 69), Harrison (Adomah 69).

Unused: Hornby, Williams, Weir, Lakin, Johnson.

Cheltenham (4-4-2): Day; Power (Dieng 58), Stubbs, Bradbury, Adedokun (Bakare 83); Jude-Boyd, Young (Dulson 83), Archer, Williams; Taylor (Thomas 58), Hay (Miller 83).

Unused: Diallo, Kinsella.

Referee: Michael Barlow

Attendance: 4,454 (1,053)