Walsall 2 Bournemouth 2

Jimmy Walker became Walsall's joint-record appearance holder but couldn't stop the Saddlers blowing a 2-0 lead against Bournemouth.

The goalkeeper equalled Colin Harrison's record of 529 games but was beaten twice in the second half as the Cherries hit back.

Jon Macken and Andy Butler put the Saddlers deservedly in control at the break but Michael Symes' penalty and Steve Fletcher's injury time leveller broke the hosts' hearts.

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And Walsall – 20th in League One – will be left desolate after dominating before handing the Cherries a second-half lifeline – to extend the visitors' unbeaten away run to 11.

Richard Taundry and Macken returned for Andy Halliday and Ryan Jarvis after Monday's 2-1 defeat at Bury.

And Walsall made a bright start, forcing two early corners and seeing Mat Sadler drill a 20-yard effort over.

Wes Thomas replied with an 18-yard effort after seven minutes which whistled wide before man of the moment Walker was caught up in controvedrsy.

Marc Pugh was sent clear on 12 minutes and Walker raced out to block as the Bournemouth winger slipped – felling Walker with the challenge.

The Saddlers stopped fell on the ball outside the area and handled but referee Paul Tierney applied common sense and only booked the keeper.

It was a fair decision after the unavoidable collision but it angered Bournemouth and their mood worsened when the Saddlers took the lead three minutes later.

Taundry's corner was only half cleared to Lee Beevers and when he worked the ball back to the midfielder, Taundry's cross was turned in by Macken from six yards.

It rewarded the Saddlers' positive start and Paterson blazed over soon after as they continued to press.

Sadler almost made it 2-0 on 34 minutes when his effort clipped the bar after Darryl Flahavan parried Paterson's strike.

The Saddlers had purpose and tempo but needed to make their dominance count – and did so with a minute of the first half left.

Alex Nicholls' header from Taundry's corner was blocked on the line but Butler followed up to head in his second goal of the season.

It was no more than the hosts deserved but they needed a third to silence the Cherries – who were unbeaten in 10 games on the road and chasing a club record of 13.

And the visitors started the second half well but failed to seriously test Walker before they were handed a lifeline on 62 minutes.

The dangerous Pugh skinned Beevers on the right and the defender rashly dived in to concede a penalty – which Symes buried to Walker's left.

It cued a Bournemouth onslaught and they felt they should have had another spot-kick when Thomas went down in the box under pressure from Butler and Manny Smith but their protests were waved away.

The frazzled Saddlers rode out the immediate storm but failed to keep the ball long enough to threaten – before Simon Francis' last-ditch challenge denied Macken a second 13 minutes from time.

It was brief respite though with Walsall too deep and giving the ball away cheaply.

But they almost made it 3-1 with seven minutes left after a quick breakaway saw Macken cross for Nicholls only for Flahavan's super reaction stop to deny the striker.

Yet, in the third minute of injury time - just as the Saddlers looked like holding on – Francis swung in a delicious cross and Fletcher powered a header into the top corner.