Milton Keynes Dons 1 Walsall 1

Walsall held on for a crucial point at Milton Keynes Dons to keep their hopes of League One survival alive.

Matt Richards' ninth goal of the season fired the Saddlers ahead but Peter Leven's cheeky 51st minute penalty hauled the Dons level.

Goalkeeper Jimmy Walker saved well from Sam Baldock in the second-half, while Julian Gray's rocket thumped the bar in a wonderful advert for League One.

Angelo Balanta should have won it for Dons with 14 minutes remaining but smacked the underside of the bar with the goal gaping.

The result keeps the Saddlers fourth bottom, level on points with Dagenham & Redbridge.

Emmanuel Ledesma and debutant Marc Laird replaced Jon Macken and Alex Nicholls and the Saddlers were under pressure from the start.

Walker twice saved from Baldock before the Saddlers fought back and Ledesma, Marc-Antoine Gbarssin and Gray all went close.

And, on 29 minutes, Walsall took the lead when goalkeeper David Martin parried Gray's shot to Richards, whose controlled volley looped in from 12 yards.

It sparked a period of Saddlers pressure, but they were indebted to Andy Butler who threw himself at Stephen Gleeson's drive.

Daniel Powell blasted over just before the break but the hosts levelled six minutes into the second-half, after a rush of blood by Manny Smith.

The defender dived in on Luke Chadwick to concede a penalty, which Leven converted with a delicate chip down the middle.

Immediately, the Saddlers rallied and Gray's 25-yard rocket hit the bar, before Walker rescued his team-mates with a save from Baldock after the striker burst clean through.

The Saddlers' goal had lived a charmed life and they should have fallen behind with 14 minutes remaining.

Baldock's header was cleared off the line by Butler but only as far as Balanta, whose seven yard shot smacked the underside of the bar and bounced to safety.

Walker then saved Leven's 90th minute free kick, as the Saddlers clung on for a point.