Bristol Rovers 1 Walsall 0 - Report

The Saddlers had a numerical advantage for the best part of an hour at the Memorial Stadium, with Rovers' Luca Hoole sent off after two quickfire bookings.

But a performance that distinctly lacked any invention or quality saw Matt Taylor's lot fail to take advantage.

And then, another to add to the extensive list of catastrophic errors gifted Aaron Collins a last-gasp winner.

Walsall, in a desperately sad state of affairs, are now 19th in the League Two table.

While they may be 10 points above the drop zone, Saddlers fans will be nervous about the situation.

They have every reason to be as Taylor refuses to stray from his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation while the players continue to churn out below-par performances.

The pressure is on Walsall and the clock is very much ticking. This run simply has to end.

Report

New striker Devante Rodney was not signed in time to feature at the Memorial Stadium, but Walsall were able to hand a debut to Manchester United loanee Reece Devine.

He started at left-back while Rollin Menayese, having served a one-match ban, returned at the centre of defence against his former employers.

Tom Leak – who could feel a little hard done by – was dropped to the bench while Zak Mills, having been replaced by Devine, was not in the squad.

Rovers, meanwhile, were without midfield maestro Sam Finley.

The game got off to a strange start as fiery Gas boss Joey Barton and Walsall right-back Hayden White both got booked after a disagreement on the touchline.

Barton had refused to give the ball back when White tried to take a throw-in – while Antony Evans received treatment – and the two had a staredown before referee Keith Stroud intervened.

Back on the pitch, neither team was really managing to keep hold of the ball. Rovers, though, did have a couple of shots on target.

The Saddlers got away with the first one as Luke Thomas drifted inside from the right flank. His left-footed effort was initially fumbled by Carl Rushworth before the keeper, just about, stopped it from crossing the line.

An effort from Collins then proved more straightforward for Rushworth to stop.

Very little quality football, it must be said, was being played, and the clash descended into a series of silly fouls.

Walsall winger Conor Wilkinson flew in with a late sliding challenge on James Connolly for an obvious yellow card.

Amid the protests from the hosts over that tackle, Hoole was seemingly cautioned for dissent.

The Rovers full-back then gave the Saddlers a huge opportunity to end the hoodoo as, a couple of minutes later, he took down Wilkinson for a second yellow and was sent for an early shower.

The Saddlers had failed to find any sort of rhythm in the first half. Being a man up, they needed to step things up and take advantage after the break.

Walsall had a half-chance shortly into the second period as Devine's inswinging corner was met by fellow fresh face Donervon Daniels, whose near-post header sailed comfortably over James Belshaw's crossbar.

Still, they were not doing enough and it did not look like 11 versus 10.

If anything, it seemed the other way around as the Gas threatened through Josh Grant – his looping effort sailing just past the far post.

The Saddlers appeared to be crying out for an attacking change, with Tyrese Shade the standout forward option on the bench.

As the clock struck the hour, though, Taylor had stuck to his guns.

Wilkinson had a couple of attempts with his left foot – one brushing the side netting, the other gathered by Belshaw – while Joss Labadie and Brendan Kiernan both entered the book.

With Walsall's play remaining uninspiring, a double-change was finally made. Shade and Emmanuel Osadebe replaced Kiernan and skipper Labadie.

Having not shifted from their 4-2-3-1 formation, though, there was not a noticeable difference.

A sluggish affair was begging for a moment of quality from the Saddlers, to return to winning ways at long last.

But instead, they handed 10-man Rovers the victory at the death. Daniels and Rushworth got into a mix-up and allowed Collins to head home the winner.

Walsall are in a crisis and at this abysmal rate, relegation cannot be ruled out.

Teams

Rovers (4-2-3-1): Belshaw; Hoole, Taylor, Connolly, Anderton; Grant (Whelan, 84), Coutts (c); Thomas (Saunders, 82), Evans, Nicholson (Anderson, 71); Collins

Subs not used: Jaakola (gk), Spence, Harries, Rodman

Goal: Collins (90)

Red card: Hoole (38)

Walsall (4-2-3-1): Rushworth; White, Menayese, Daniels, Devine; Kinsella, Labadie (c) (Osadebe, 69); Wilkinson, Earing, Kiernan (Shade, 69); Miller

Subs not used: Rose (gk), Leak, Bates, Perry, Willock

Referee: Keith Stroud