Tranmere 1-1 Walsall: Reece Smith's late leveller preserves unbeaten league start

Reece Smith produced a dramatic late equaliser to extend Walsall’s unbeaten league start in their 1-1 draw against Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.

Tranmere dominated for large periods, as Jed Ward denied Joe Ironside from the spot and produced excellent saves to thwart Tom Ince and Charlie Whitaker in the first half.

The hosts did draw first blood 17 minutes from time when Bobby Faulkner converted Will Vaulks’ corner with a near post header.

But Smith preserved the Saddlers’ unbeaten start in League Two with a low finish into the far bottom corner at the death.

Lee Grant made three changes from the Saddlers’ 2-0 win over Port Vale last weekend, as top scorer Aaron Pressley returned from a knock.

Tranmere were the team applying the early pressure and Walsall struggled to contain their hosts at times, as Ward dug out out of danger on a number of occasions.

Vaulks and Jacob Slater forced routine saves from the Walsall goalkeeper with shots from distance, but that set the tone for a busy first half for Ward.

Charlie Whitaker cut inside and drove a lot shot at goal, which was repelled by the legs of Ward, before Mason Hancock made a crucial block to thwart Tom Ince on the rebound.

Pressley squandered the clearest chance of the first period for Walsall when he failed to keep his finish down from a matter of yards following Dallas’ cutback.

Ironside peeled away down the left and squared to the edge of the box, where Ince’s thumping effort was parried away by Ward.

The hosts were then awarded a penalty just past the half-hour mark when Sven Sprangler was penalised for a trip on Whitaker inside the box.

But Ward plunged to his right to deny Ironside from the spot, before the follow-up from Whitaker also appeared to be flicked on to the post by the Saddlers shot-stopper.

James Connolly headed Lewis Simper’s corner over the crossbar just after the restart and Ward was called upon again to palm Ince’s free-kick away.

Grant introduced Tai Sodje just before the hour-mark in an attacking change and Walsall almost immediately delivered the breakthrough.

Elicha Ahui cushioned down Ward’s long diagonal ball into the path of Dallas, but his low shot was expertly saved by Male.

Any kind of resurgence would prove short-lived and Ince came close again when he darted into space and dragged a low shot agonisingly wide.

Tranmere did find the opener that they deserved on 73 minutes when Faulkner seized on Vaulks’ corner delivery to head in at the near post.

Walsall appeared to be heading for their first league defeat of the season until Will Etheridge nudged a pass to Smith, who drilled a low shot into the bottom corner in the 90th-minute.

Teams

Walsall (4-2-3-1): Ward; Ahui (Leak 77), Connolly, Skura, Hancock; Sprangler (Sodje 58), Moore; Simper (Etheridge 89), Dallas (Adomah 77), Smith; Pressley.

Not used: Wooster, Furlong, Burke.

Tranmere (4-2-3-1): Male; Senior, Faulkner, Smith, Slater; Vaulks, Conlon (Finley 89); Okoro (Davies 72), Ince, Whitaker (O’Connor 89); Ironside (Jones 60).

Not used: Boyce-Clarke, Brough, Kamara.

Match details

Referee: Stephen Parkinson