The verdict: Unbeaten Walsall deserve credit, but draws are taking their toll

Walsall conceded after just five minutes and it was a poor goal to concede. Aaron Pressley failed to clear his lines from Mitch Clark’s long throw and both Mason Hancock and Jed Ward were hesitant in dealing with the loose ball.

Moldovan international Stephan Negru capitalised on their indecisiveness by breaking to the by-line and squaring for Aaron Drinan to score his sixth goal of the season.

Swindon had more chances, although many of the them were created by Walsall mistakes. James Connolly played a hazardous pass across the back-line, which was pounced upon by Clarke, who forced Ward into action.

Drinan poked another presentable opportunity just inches over, but Walsall were beginning to show signs of improvement before the interval.

Reece Smith was the brightest performer in a frustrating first 45 minutes and Courtney Clarke continued to grow in confidence as the game wore on.

Tai Sodje also capped off a poignant week in his early Walsall journey. The 23-year-old has had to bide his time since joining from non-league Buxton in the summer.

He scored his first two goals during the Saddlers’ 3-2 victory over Fulham under-21s in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday and was rewarded with only his fourth league start as a result.

The young striker popped up in good positions during the first 45 and linked well with Aaron Pressley on a couple of occasions. He had the best chance for Walsall in the first period when he thunderous half-volley was expertly tipped over by Swindon goalkeeper Connor Ripley.

His performance went from strength to strength in the second half. He was on the prowl at the back post to head in the Saddlers’ equaliser on the line with his third goal of the week.

Walsall had every right to feel aggrieved at the officiating, which ultimately cost them dearly. Aaron Pressley had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed despite his effort clearly crossing the line.

Sodje had tapped in with the ball already a yard over the goal-line and was seemingly adjudged to have been in an offside position.

But that was only the beginning of the controversy, after Sodje was caught with a high challenge by Ripley just inside the Swindon penalty area.

The referee was unmoved and remarkably awarded a corner. Grant was vocal about his frustrations at full-time and rightly so.

He also claimed the Ripley had admitted that he was fortunate not to have seen red. Perhaps these decisions level themselves out over the course of a league campaign, but both incidents summed up what was a poor afternoon for the officials.

Walsall had other chances to win it. Pressley fired a tame finish straight at Ripley, Smith forced another good stop from the Swindon keeper and substitute Andy Dallas squandered to late sights of goal.

The most frustrating thing for Walsall is that they just cannot find a way to translate draws into wins at this stage.

They thoroughly deserved maximum points at the County Ground, but instead emerged with their seventh draw in 10 games. That is something which has somewhat taken the gloss off their unbeaten start to the season.

On paper, it was the type of game that Walsall should be expected to win. Swindon headed into the weekend in 17th-place and without a win in seven games in all competitions.

Nonetheless, they’re still yet to taste defeat in the league and that has to be regarded as an achievement. This team just don’t seem to know when they’re beaten and that was the case once again at Swindon.

Walsall have come from behind in each of the past three games in League Two and that serves as another illustration of the spirit, character and resilience of this group.

Grant also showed his ability to change things for the better in-game. Admittedly, the decision to play Declan Skura at right-back for the second successive game was arguably the wrong call.

They were shaky at times during the first half, and looked much more a solid unit once Elicha Ahui replaced Ryan Leak at half-time.

But Grant acted when needed and that is something that he has done regularly in the early exchanges of the season.

Walsall are finishing games strongly, just as they did in the 3-0 win at Gillingham in their League Two opener and in their 2-0 victory over Port Vale in September.

They have also provided further evidence of that in the past three draws at Swindon, Fleetwood Town and Tranmere Rovers respectively.

Yet the frequency of draws mean that Walsall are beginning to drop points and the urgency to return to winning ways is growing game-by-game.