Walsall Development 1 Stoke 1

A stunning 25-yard Liam Kinsella half-volley looked to have won it for the Saddlers in their opening group game.

But some poor finishing, combined with referee Tom Harty's rather generous decision to allow six minutes of stoppage time, allowed Stoke to snatch a share of the spoils.

More importantly, the game saw a first return to action Jordan Cook following his recovery from an ankle injury, while Stoke's side included Honduran World Cup star Wilson Palacios.

Cook sent an early effort straight at visiting keeper Dale Eve but the best attempts of the opening half hour came from the visitors.

Mohamed Chemlal shot narrowly wide and then narrowly over, before Kieron Monlouis drew a fine save from home keeper Craig MacGillivray, who pushed away at full stretch his left-footed shot.

Amadou Bakayoko then fired narrowly over the bar for the Saddlers before Monlouis experienced more frustration, when his shot from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection off a defender and struck the inside of the post.

Cook drew Eve's first serious save of the match early in the second half with a strong run and shot which the keeper kept out low to his right.

The keeper was less convincing when attempting to parry a dipping Jordan Murphy shot just before the hour mark but Amadou Bakayoko put the inviting rebound well over the bar and was, in any case, in an offside position.

Cook was replaced on 65 minutes by Luke Delaney and the substitute nearly had an immediate impact when his cross took a deflection and Eve's intervention was needed to prevent it creeping in at the near post.

The keeper could do nothing about Kinsella's goal which flew past him and into the bottom corner.

Bakayoko almost added a second in stoppage time but Eve tipped his shot onto the post. And it proved crucial as with everyone anticipating the final whistle, Adeloye skipped through to finish past MacGillivray at the second attempt.