Walsall 1 Oldham 1 - Report and pictures

Romaine Sawyers had given Dean Smith's Saddlers the ideal start when he fired them ahead early in the first-half at the Banks's Stadium.

Jordan Cook and Tom Bradshaw went close to doubling the lead. But Oldham were always in the game and punished the hosts for a poor second-half when Forte stroked home.

The Saddlers were guilty of being far too sloppy in possession as they looked to close out the game.

Smith opted to pair Cook in attack with last season's top scorer Bradshaw, with Milan Lalkovic on the bench.

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and Jason Demetriou, who operated as a wing-back, were both handed their Saddlers debuts.

Walsall made a lively start and might have taken the lead inside the opening three minutes had Cook been able to get a better contact on Demetriou's low cross.

Walsall (3-5-2): Etheridge, Downing, O'Connor, Taylor, Demetriou, Mantom, Sawyers, Chambers ©, Henry (Forde 87), Cook (Lalkovic 66), Bradshaw.

Subs not used: Baxendale, Preston, Flanagan, Morris, MacGillivray (gk).

Oldham (4-4-2): Coleman, Wilson B, Wilson J, Burns, Mills, Croft (Philliskirk 74), Winchester (Dunn 66), Jones, Kelly (c), Cassidy, Turner (Forte 63).

The latter then drilled a left-footed shot just over the bar and Jake Cassidy repeated the trick at the other end, after Etheridge failed to gather a cross.

It was the hosts who were on top and they took the lead on eight minutes, when Sawyers collected a pass from Bradshaw and hammered a finish past visiting goalkeeper Joel Coleman from the edge of the box.

Oldham skipper Liam Kelly drilled a shot over from distance and sent another whistling just past the post as his side began to settle into the game.

Referee Mike Brown waved away cries for a penalty when Mills fell under the challenge of Demetriou.

The hosts still looked dangerous and only a superb challenge from Jonathan Burn prevented Cook from doubling the lead, after Henry had beaten his man on the left.

But the visitors continued to have their moments and, in the final seconds of the half, Rhys Turner skied their best chance after being put through on goal by a Mills slide pass.

The opening to the second-half was almost as bright to that of the first, with Burn hacking off the line to deny Bradshaw.

It came after the Saddlers had fooled their opponents with a low free-kick, while Oldham's Carl Winchester whipped a cross along the six yard box with no-one there to poke home.

Andy Taylor fired a free-kick just wide of the far post for the hosts, but it was the visitors who began to grasp the momentum and Etheridge did well to punch clear a vicious Mills strike which moved in the air.

There were numerous nervy moments for the hosts, who were sloppy in possession.

Lalkovic, on as a substitute, went close to calming those with a shot which was deflected into the side-netting after he had been forced wide by keeper Coleman.

With seven minutes to go, Forte grabbed a deserved leveller when he stroked home Jake Cassidy's cross first time.