From top to bottom half: A timeline of Walsall's 2025-26 collapse

It seems like an eternity ago now but Walsall started the season with a dramatic 2-1 win over Swindon Town at Bescot.

Evan Weir unleashed a rocket of a free-kick into the top corner after eight minutes before Brandon Comley’s dismissal meant the Saddlers had to survive over 70 minutes with 10-men.

Will Wright levelled from the spot 11 minutes from time but Connor Barrett secured a last-gasp victory in stoppage time.

27 September 2025: Accrington 1-3 Walsall

Walsall made it seven wins from their first 10 games with a 3-1 success at Accrington Stanley.

Aden Flint and Aaron Pressley made it 2-0 with 15 minutes to go before Albert Adomah restored their two-goal cushion deep into stoppage time.

15 November 2025: Walsall 0-2 Colchester

Mat Sadler had guided Walsall to five wins from their first six home games in League Two, but the cracks were beginning to appear at Bescot.

Back-to-back home defeats against Barrow and Colchester respectively proved only the start of their troubles on home soil.

20 December 2025: Notts County 0-0 Walsall

Walsall hit another purple patch heading into the winter months with wins over Harrogate Town, Bromley and Oldham Athletic.

They dropped points at home to local rivals Shrewsbury Town but a goalless draw at Notts County was enough to propel Walsall to the top of the tree at Christmas.

A 1-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra on Boxing Day maintained their position at the summit - but it would prove to be Sadler’s last home win at the helm.

27 January 2026: Walsall 1-3 Barnet

Boos rang out at full-time and the home supporters seriously began to call for Sadler’s sacking.

Walsall had won just once in eight games at this point and were completely outclassed by Barnet, as they extended their winless run to five games.

"Unfortunately we live in this world now where everyone wants something straight away,” Sadler responded when asked about his future at the time.

"That goes with media sucking that rhetoric out there and that goes with supporters' dissatisfaction.

28 February 2026: Shrewsbury 1-2 Walsall

That run without a win rumbled on but was eventually stopped at seven games when Walsall emerged 2-1 victors at Shrewsbury.

It would prove a false dawn with Sadler entering beginning of the end territory.

10 March 2026: Salford City 1-0 Walsall (*Sadler axed)

Walsall suffered three successive defeats for the first time under Sadler and were handed a sixth loss in eight games by Salford.

That setback left them three points adrift of the play-off places and proved the final straw, as Sadler was relieved of his duties following a wretched run of two wins in 14 games.

14 March 2026: Crewe 0-3 Walsall

Darren Byfield was installed as interim head coach in the wake of Sadler’s departure and immediately switched from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3.

His changes heralded an immediate turnaround, as Walsall romped to a memorable 3-0 victory at Crewe Alexandra.

A hard-fought goalless stalemate against high-fliers Cambridge United three days later would see him handed the reins until the end of the season.

21 March 2026: Walsall 2-1 Newport

Walsall were on the brink of extending their winless home run to nine games until Alex Pattison’s dramatic 97th-minute winner against Newport.

Pattison drove a stunning strike into the bottom corner from 30 yards out to offer a glimmer of hope in the play-off race.

6 April 2026: Swindon 2-1 Walsall

The illusion would prove short-lived and a costly set of results over the Easter weekend ultimately ended any faint hopes of sneaking into the top seven.

First, Walsall dropped points in a draw at Colchester in late March and were forced to settle for a point at home to Gillingham on Good Friday.

They led until the 81st-minute at Swindon until two late goals for the hosts condemned Byfield to his first defeat.

11 April 2026: Walsall 0-4 Cheltenham

Things would go from bad to worse later that week when Walsall were consigned to their heaviest defeat of the season.

With the scores goalless at the break, Walsall inexplicably fell apart to ship four second half goals against their Gloucestershire visitors.

2 May 2026: Bromley 3-1 Walsall

A disappointing season fizzled out in miserable fashion after a defeat at Bromley coupled with Colchester’s 4-1 win at Cheltenham saw Walsall drop to 13th.

After sitting top at Christmas, the Saddlers had somehow contrived to finish in the bottom half.

Byfield ended his interim reign with four defeats from his final five games and the team had even headed home without conducting its post-match media duties.