Oldham 1 Walsall 1 - match analysis

Walsall and Oldham exchanged gifts at Boundary Park. And the Saddlers ended the evening happier than the hosts with their handout.

Young striker George Bowerman was the grateful recipient of the Latics' generosity as he fired the goal that put Dean Smith's men on the League One scoreboard.

And while Walsall remain a team with questions to answer, they could leave Greater Manchester last night satisfied with a well-deserved draw.

Saddlers goalkeeper David Grof had a moment to forget when his howler handed Oldham the opening goal on 36 minutes and put Paul Dickov's men seemingly on course for maximum points.

But with 10 minutes remaining Latics captain Dean Furman reciprocated Grof's kindness with an horrendous backpass that allowed Bowerman to level the scores.

And, while they had to wait for Furman to return Grof's favour, a point was the least Smith's men deserved for keeping their nerve in the wake of the keeper's calamity and subjecting the Latics to a level of pressure that finally forced Furman to crack.

On another night the Saddlers might even have claimed maximum points. But it was not a time to get greedy and, after an opening-day defeat to Doncaster on Saturday,

Walsall's supporters were content to see their side get off the mark.

Fans will be concerned by Grof's gaffe – a mistake that came just three days after a costly spill helped Doncaster take the lead in their 3-0 win at the Banks's Stadium.

And they will ask how Smith's men would have found the net without Furman's aberration. Despite lots of quick, incisive passing they rarely looked like testing Alex Cisak in the Latics' goal.

Yet they will be pleased with the strong, committed defending that left Grof with just two saves to make, and delighted with the resilience that kept their youngsters going after Youssouf M'Changama's bizarre opener.

The game began scrappily but it was the Saddlers who were first to threaten as a good challenge by right-back Ben Purkiss triggered a counter-attack.

Florent Cuvelier and Jamie Paterson combined to release Ashley Hemmings but his route to goal was blocked by Dean Furman.

Walsall had a couple of scares courtesy of Oldham old-boy Dean Holden, who had a nervous few minutes on his Boundary Park return.

First he was caught in possession by Jordan Slew, who fired wide, and then he was booked for a crunching tackle on Robbie Simpson, who dusted himself down and hit a free-kick that was saved by Grof.

Walsall carried a threat on the break, however, and when Hemmings did well to hold off James Tarkowski, Will Grigg collected his lay-off and fired just off target.

A slick passing move involving Paterson and Cuvelier handed Grigg possession again just inside the Latics' area. He turned smartly and saw his low cross-shot drift a yard wide.

But Oldham began to exert more pressure as the first half progressed and nine minutes before the interval their growing superiority resulted in the opening goal.

M'Changama decided to try his luck from 25 yards and, although Grof got behind the shot, the ball bounced into the ground, off the body of the keeper and into the net.

Saddlers almost levelled on 54 minutes as Cisak did his best to cancel out his opposite number's error.

He spilled a Paterson free-kick but the ball crept just wide.

Smith made changes, with youngsters Bowerman and Alex Williams introduced from the bench. But they had been unable to unlock the Oldham defence until, on 80 minutes, Furman did the job for them.

He failed to spot Bowerman retreating from a previous attack and hit a suicidal backpass which the Walsall youngster intercepted before finishing coolly past Cisak.

By Steve Madeley.