Coventry City 0 Walsall 0 - Pictures and report

It was the Saddlers' sixth goalless draw of the campaign so far, as they once again kept things tight at the back.

But they missed the goals of injured top scorer Tom Bradshaw going forward, as they drew another blank at the other end.

Richard O'Donnell was forced into a couple of decent saves by Coventry either side of the break, but Walsall's defence once again in looked imperious form and a draw was a just outcome.

The Saddlers were unchanged from last Saturday's win at Fleetwood as top scorer Bradshaw and Sam Mantom failed to recover from their persistent hamstring and knee problems respectively.

Both had been rated as 50-50 at best in the build-up to the game and Dean Smith opted not to risk them with one eye on Walsall's next game, the Johnstone's Paint Trophy area semi-final at Tranmere on December 9.

Coventry made one injury-enforced change as loan deadline day capture Matthew Pennington, of Everton, came in for injured right-back Aaron Phillips.

It was Pennington who made the game's first notable impact two minutes in, just getting enough on his header to stop Ashley Grimes having a free shot at tucking home Ben Purkiss' far-post cross.

Walsall were passing the ball around excellently in the opening stages and bossed the first half-hour but just could not find that final pass, cross or shot in the last third of the pitch.

James Baxendale was at the heart of much they did that was good and his surging run set up Romaine Sawyers to fire well wide from the edge of the box.

Baxendale came much closer soon after, his low strike from distance fizzing a couple of inches wide before Jordan Cook also created space for himself only to curl off target from just inside the area.

Coventry enjoyed a brief spell of pressure around the half-hour mark and Frank Nouble should probably have done better amid a couple of goalmouth scrambles that Walsall survived with hearts in mouths.

But Walsall were comfortably the better team in the first half, their only crime not working City keeper Ryan Allsop as Leicester loanee Michael Cain also drove a couple of 25-yarders wide.

And it was Coventry who had the clearest chance of the half, right on the stroke of the interval.

Nouble's cross was met by the head of Sky Blues skipper Jim O'Brien and Saddlers keeper Richard O'Donnell made an excellent full-length stop to push it away.

Walsall again began the second half brightly and carved out their clearest opening five minutes in, Sawyers steering a Purkiss delivery back across goal where Cook, at full stretch, was foiled at close range by Allsop.

From there, though, Coventry got on top and O'Donnell had to make several saves, foiling Gary Madine's impudent 40-yard chip, a low deflected John Fleck shot and a more straightforward Madine header.

The Saddlers brought on former Coventry striker Mathieu Manset with 15 minutes to go.

The Frenchman would have loved a goal, after City boss Steven Pressley's disparaging comments about his work ethic in the build-up to the game.

However, the closest either side came was a deflected Cain effort that was routine for Allsop, as honours ended even.