Swindon 2-1 Walsall: Saddlers fall six points adrift of League Two play-offs with defeat

Swindon Town condemned Walsall to their first defeat under Darren Byfield to leave their League Two play-off hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.

Jamie Jellis climbed off the bench to open the scoring in the 64th-minute before Swindon substitute Fletcher Hollman restored parity with nine minutes left on the clock.

The hosts completed the turnaround in stoppage time when Jake Batty capitalised on Aden Flint’s hesitancy to square for Aaron Drinan to score the decider.

Chesterfield, Crewe Alexandra, Grimsby Town and Barnet all won to leave Walsall in 12th and six points adrift of the play-off places.

Byfield rung the changes with no fewer than seven alterations from the team which started the Saddlers’ 2-2 draw against Gillingham at Bescot on Good Friday.

Connor Barrett returned for his first start in two months and Aden Flint also captained Walsall against his former club.

Alfie Chang replaced the injured Alex Pattison in midfield and top scorer Daniel Kanu led the line at the expense of Aaron Pressley.

Elsewhere, Kacper Lopata, Charlie Lakin and Albert Adomah were recalled, as Harrison Burke, Courtney Clarke and Jamie Jellis dropped to the bench.

Billy Bodin hooked an early overhead kick comfortably over inside the first three minutes before Aidan Borland blazed a shot from distance high and over for the hosts.

Daniel Kanu came closest for Walsall when Mason Hancock’s cross was diverted into his path. He managed to dig out a chance for himself but his eventual finish deflected just wide of Connor Ripley’s left-hand post.

Aden Flint guided a looping half-volley on to the roof of the net from the resulting corner and Aaron Loupalo-Bi saw his shot on the counter-attack deflect into the grateful grasp of Ripley.

The game descended into somewhat of a sloppy affair with both teams guilty of the odd wayward pass.

Neither side managed to discover any rhythm in the contest and there was very little goalmouth action as a result.

Brandon Comley chanced his luck from 30 yards out but his audacious effort whistled over and brushed the roof of the net.

Walsall came agonisingly close to finding the breakthrough 10 minutes after the restart when Kanu failed to find the target from an acute angle.

Chang scooped a delightful cross to the back post for Hancock to head across the face of goal. Lopata was unable to connect inside the six-yard box but Kanu’s eventual shot was wayward.

Jellis was called upon to replace Chang just moments later after the former Birmingham City midfielder picked up a knock.

And Jellis made an almost immediate impact from the bench when he opened the scoring midway into the second half.

Loupalo-Bi delivered an excellent cross for Jellis, who escaped his marker, and turned a dribbling finish into the far corner from roughly the penalty spot.

That put an end to his dry spell which had dated all the back to his last goal in a 2-0 win at Morecambe in February last year.

The opener put a spring in the Saddlers’ step and Byfield looked to utilise the pace of Kanu by pushing him out wide as Aaron Pressley was introduced to lead the line.

Comley made a superb interception to ignite a quick counter-attack although nobody was able to connect with a low cutback from Lakin.

Swindon sprung a quick break of their own but substitute Holman could only slash his back post volley towards the corner flag.

However, the Wolves loanee was much more clinical at the next time of asking when he put the hosts level with nine minutes to go.

Ripley bowled the ball out to the left which substitute Vincent Harper was unable to clear. Holman was there to pounce and calmly curled his finish beyond the outstretched glove of Roberts and into the far bottom corner.

Things went from bad to worse when League Two top scorer Drinan sealed a dramatic win for Swindon in the second of nine additional minutes.

Drinan was clearly offside when the ball was played over the top and Flint gestured towards the linesman to protest. But Drinan moved away from the ball and Batty pounced to break in behind.

He squared for Drinan who had the simple task of tapping beyond a stranded Roberts in a chaotic climax.

Next, Walsall welcome Cheltenham Town to Bescot on Saturday afternoon,

Teams

Walsall (4-3-3): Roberts; Barrett (Harper 85), Lopata, Flint, Hancock; Chang (Jellis 63), Comley, Lakin; Adomah, Kanu, Loupalo-Bi (Pressley 69).

Not used: Hornby, Burke, Clarke, Okeke.

Swindon: Ripley; McGregor, Knight-Lebel, Tafazolli, Batty; Ball (Palmer 65), Borland (Nichols 85); Bodin (Holman 65), Oldaker (Clarke 74), Hoilett (Olakigbe 65); Drinan.

Not used: Ward, Mabete.

Other details

Referee: Elliott Swallow

Attendance: 8,981 (894)