Walsall 0 Port Vale 2 - match report

Pope put the visitors ahead when he drilled home an Adam Yates cross which the Saddlers failed to clear.

Tomlin then pounced on more uncertaintly from the home defence when he hooked home midway through the second half.

The hosts were largely restricted to shot from distance and young keeper Sam Johnson denied both James Chambers and Craig Westcarr.

Johnson, making his first professional start, also denied substitute Ashley Hemmings twice late on but otherwise saw his work-rate made easy by impressive defending from his backline.

Vale's overall pressing suffocated the Saddlers, who enjoyed their brightest spell early in the second half but never looked like getting back into it after Tomlin had made it 2-0.

In defence, it was an uncharacteristically sloppy day for the hosts with question marks hanging over the defending for both goals.

Dean Smith made just one change from the side which drew 1-1 with Sheffield United on Tuesday as forward Romaine Sawyers came in for midfielder Nicky Featherstone.

The visitors made three changes with keeper Johnson making just his second career start and it was Micky Adams' side who settled much the better.

Pope glanced a header over the bar in the opening minutes before there were big shouts for a penalty when Paul Downing blocked a Jennison Myrie-Williams shot – the visitors adamant he had used his arm.

The Saddlers finally began to see some success in the final third, with Sawyers and Sam Mantom seeing efforts blocked.

But it was still Vale on top and on 20 minutes they took the lead. Andy Butler got a head to Yates' cross but could only succeed in helping it on to Pope who finished first time past O'Donnell, the ball ricocheting off the keeper's legs and into the roof of the net.

Mantom drove over from just inside the box as the Saddlers looked for an instant response but the visitors pressing and work-rate was keeping chances to a minimum.

Sawyers, their brightest player, saw a shot from 20 yards out deflected just wide while Baxendale was also off target.

The latter missed his kick when attempting another shot from the edge of the box while Myrie Williams saw a low drive held by O'Donnell as half-time approached.

Lines had the first chance of the second half when he stooped to head a Myrie Williams cross over the bar at the near post.

At the other end Westcarr was inches away from connecting with a tempting James Chambers cross and then saw a shot deflected wide.

Johnson was then forced into his first save of the game, diving to his right to keep out a ferocious long distance drive from James Chambers. From the resulting corner, Lalkovic shot over as the Saddlers began to ratchet up the pressure.

But with 25 minutes their task was rendered almost impossible when Tomlin doubled the lead. A long throw was flicked on by a Saddlers player and the visiting player controlled the ball with his first touch before turning and firing into the top corner with his second.

Westcarr forced Taylor into a smart save with a curling long range effort as the Saddlers looked to quickly cut the deficit.

But the goal seemed to have knocked any momentum out of Dean Smith's side and it was some time before Johnson was tested again with a Mantom shot which the keeper easily held onto.

He had more trouble with a low effort from Hemmings, who showed some nice touches after being introduced and was also denied by the keeper at close range after Vale failed to clear a corner.