Barrow 2 Walsall 2 - Report and pictures

Following a long trip to Cumbria the Saddlers found themselves behind after 24 minutes when Dior Angus scored from the penalty spot after Cameron Norman impeded Josh Kay inside the box.

Despite the hosts dominating, Caolan Lavery dragged the Saddlers level on the stroke of half-time with a neat close-range finish.

In a role reversal to the first half, Walsall then started the second half well but went behind after 5 minutes when Luke James took advantage of some slack Saddlers closing down to curl in a superb effort into the top corner.

As the visitors battled for an equaliser it again came through Lavery who tucked away a penalty after Zak Jules was hauled down in the box.

After an end-to-end game in which either side could have taken the lead, it ended 2-2 as Walsall extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games.

Darrell Clarke made four changes to the team that drew with Bradford in midweek, changing to a 5-3-2 formation.

Norman, Jules, Alfie Bates and Emmanuel Osadebe came into the starting XI while Hayden White, Danny Guthrie and Wes McDonald dropped to the bench. Rory Holden missed out on the squad altogether.

New loan signings Adan George and Jake Scrimshaw made the bench, with the former being included in a Walsall squad for the first time.

David Dunn, returning to the dugout for the first time since testing positive for coronavirus, made three changes to his side, also starting in a 5-3-2 formation.

Sam Hird, Harrison Biggins and James came into the team. Only six players were named as substitutes.

Former Premier League referee Bobby Madley - who was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Limited in 2018 after sending a video mocking a disabled person to a friend - took charge of the clash. He returned to refereeing in England at the start of this season.

The first chance of the game fell to Lavery who met a Bates corner at the near post but saw his first time volley parried away by goalkeeper Joel Dixon.

Shortly after it was Barrow who went close with a volley. Harrison Biggins was found all alone in the box after Bates lost the ball in midfield. He directed his volley over the bar when he should have done better. James then curled an effort narrowly wide.

As the hosts got a grip on the game, goalkeeper Liam Roberts came to Walsall’s rescue with two brilliant saves in the space of one minute. First he tipped over with an excellent reaction stop to deny Jason Taylor before then diving to his right to stop an effort from James.

Lavery was appealing for a penalty when he seemed to be dragged down in the box by Taylor as he attempted to reach an Elijah Adebayo cross, but the referee was unmoved.

Then, after 24 minutes, Barrow took the lead from the penalty spot. Norman was adjudged to have impeded Kay as he raced into the box. Angus stepped up and tucked the ball home.

Only five minutes until half-time captain James Clarke was taken off with injury and replaced by McDonald. This meant a formation change for Walsall to 4-4-2 as Osadebe moved to the right of midfield.

Against the run of play the Saddlers equalised in added time of the first half. A recycled corner was crossed back in by Adebayo and headed down by Dan Scarr for Lavery who poked the ball into the bottom corner from close range.

Matt Platt headed over from a Barrow free-kick for the last chance of the half as the sides entered the break drawing 1-1.

Despite starting the second half as the better side, Walsall were behind in the 50th minute. James picked the ball up on the left, cut inside and curled in a beautiful effort over Roberts to give Barrow the lead.

With the Saddlers looking for a way back into the game, they were handed a lifeline when Jules was hauled down in the box during a Bates free-kick - awarding Walsall a penalty. Having missed his last spot kick, Lavery looked confident as he stepped up and slotted it into the bottom corner to equalise for the second time.

Substitute McDonald almost created a brilliant goal as he raced the length of the pitch during a superb counter attack but his cut back for Lavery, who had an open goal, was cut out by Hird with a last ditch challenge.

Osadebe almost made himself the hero when he raced through with the ball from half-way and cut inside in the box to direct a shot towards the far post. His effort hit the post and the ball was cleared away ahead of substitute Scrimshaw.

Substitute Chris Taylor should have won the game in injury time when he had a free header within the six-yard box, but his header was straight at Roberts.

Despite both sides having chances to win the game, it finished 2-2. Walsall remain the only League Two side yet to lose a game this season as they extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games.

Teams

Walsall: Roberts, Norman, Scarr, Clarke (McDonald, 39), Jules, Nurse, Kinsella, Bates (Guthrie, 59), Osadebe, Lavery, Adebayo (Scrimshaw, 77).

Subs not used: Rose, White, Sinclair, George.

Barrow: Dixon, Hird, Platt, Brough, Barry, Taylor, Jones, Kay (Brown, 70), Biggins (Taylor, 91), James, Angus (Reid, 83).

Subs not used: Moloney, Gribbin, Zouma.