Walsall 1 MK Dons 1 - Report and pictures

Bradshaw nodded home his 16th goal of the season, ending a seven-game drought, to give the Saddlers an early lead after Dons keeper David Martin went walkabout.

However, Grigg levelled just after the half-hour mark, ghosting in to tap home Dean Bowditch's cross and celebrating the goal against his former club with glee.

Walsall came the closest to winning it after the break but skipper Adam Chambers' bullet header was cleared off the line.

The result was little help to either side as Walsall fell further adrift of the top six, although they moved a point nearer safety, while MK fell further behind Preston in the race for the second automatic promotion spot.

Sam Mantom's inclusion on the teamsheet was a welcome sight for Walsall fans, last year's Player of the Season making his first start of a campaign in which he has been sidelined by knee trouble.

Chambers shook off an ankle injury to line up alongside Mantom as boss Dean Smith was able to field his first choice central midfield duo for the first time in almost a year.

Walsall made two other changes from last weekend's awful 3-0 defeat at Barnsley - James O'Connor came in for James Chambers at centre-back and Jordan Cook was back from a groin injury to replace James Baxendale on the wing.

There was further good news on the bench as Anthony Forde was deemed fit enough to line up among the substitutes after a groin injury that had kept him out for three games.

MK Dons, meanwhile, also made three changes as they looked to arrest a slump that had seen them lose five of their last seven, severely denting their automatic promotion hopes.

Walsall: O'Donnell; Purkiss, O'Connor, Downing, Taylor; A.Chambers (c), Mantom; Sawyers, Cook (Murphy), Hiwula (Forde); Bradshaw

Unused subs: Baxendale, Grimes, Flanagan, Chambers, MacGillivray

Goals: Bradshaw (8)

MK Dons: Martin; Spence, Kay, McFadzean, Lewington (c); Potter, Carruthers; C Baker, Reeves (L Baker 77), Bowditch (Powell 69); Grigg (Cole 90).

Unused subs: Burns, Hodson, Green, Hitchcock.

Bookings: Potter, McFadzean.

Goals: Grigg (33).

Back came keeper Martin from injury, skipper Dean Lewington from suspension plus Ben Reeves, in for former Walsall loan stopper Ian McLoughlin, Joe Walsh and Manchester City loan striker Devante Cole respectively.

The Saddlers began well and got their reward on eight minutes as Bradshaw netted his first goal since the Johnstone's Paint Trophy area final first leg win at Preston on January 7.

He owed much to Dons keeper Martin who came for an Andy Taylor cross that he was never going to get near, allowing Bradshaw to nod into an open goal from 12 yards.

MK, for a side low on confidence, responded fairly well to the blow and Baker cleverly worked space in the area to force a smart near-post stop from Saddlers keeper Richard O'Donnell.

The Dons then had two penalty shouts, both against Taylor – the first, on Darren Potter, looked clumsy and had MK players surrounding the ref while the second would have been cast-iron had Ben Reeves not already been flagged offside.

They were back level on 33 minutes and, of course, it had to be that man Grigg who showed no bashfulness in celebrating his equaliser in front of the Walsall fans.

Dean Bowditch was allowed to fire in a ball from the left byline across the face of the six-yard box and Grigg was in the right place to touch it home.

Dons keeper Martin, who had looked nervy, safely gathered a Romaine Sawyers shot from 20 yards before Grigg almost raced clear, only for O'Donnell to get there first and the MK striker handled as he attempted to control the loose ball.

Sawyers fired into the side netting from just inside the area after a swift Walsall break but MK had the final chance of the half as right-back Jordan Spence flashed a 25-yard rocket just wide.

MK controlled the early part of the second half but it was Walsall who fashioned the first chance on the hour and came so close to regaining the lead.

Mantom's far-post corner was met by a bullet header from Chambers that was somehow cleared off the line by Dons defender Kyle McFadzean.

Jordy Hiwula had the ball in the net but had long been flagged offside, while Jordan Cook tested Martin with a low shot from the right edge of the area as Walsall gradually got on top.

MK weathered the brief storm, though, and came close to winning it seven minutes from time as substitute Daniel Powell lashed a couple of feet wide from just outside the box.

Mantom almost made it a dream return three minutes from time with a measured strike from 20 yards but a backpedalling Martin managed to fingertip it over the bar.

There was almost disaster for Walsall in stoppage time as, under pressure from sub Devante Cole, James O'Connor's back-header looked to be going beyond O'Donnell but the keeper just got back in time to paw it away, almost on his line.