Walsall recorded a deserved 2-0 victory over Peterborough United at the Bescot Stadium in this evening's League One clash.
Chelsea loanee Milan Lalkovic fired the Saddlers ahead in the first half, and Romaine Sawyers bagged their second just after the hour mark.
There was more woe for Posh late on as Shaun Brisley was sent off for a second bookable offence, but their goalkeeper Robert Olejnik kept the scoreline down by stopping a last-ditch penalty from Ashley Hemmings.
Find out how all the action unfolded with our minute-by-minute text commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the League One match between Walsall and Peterborough United at the Bescot Stadium.
It should be a decent game this evening as both these sides have playoff aspirations. The hosts can move just a point shy of the top six with a win, while Posh lie in third ahead of kickoff.
With the internationals in full swing this weekend, teams in the lower divisions are given their chance to step into the spotlight. We saw a thrilling 3-3 draw between Bradford and Coventry yesterday, so fingers crossed we will be treated to more of the same between these two.
No word on the Walsall starting XI, but Peterborough have submitted their teamsheet...
PETERBOROUGH: Olejnik, Little, Ntlhe, Brisley, Bostwick, Alcock, Payne, McCann, Ephraim, Assombalonga, Mendez-laing
WALSALL: O'Donnell, Taylor, Butler, Downing, J Chambers, Mantom, A Chambers, Baxendale, Sawyers, Lalkovic, Westcarr
Walsall boss Dean Smith had a full strength squad to choose from this evening, while his opposite number Darren Ferguson was blighted by a number of injury concerns.
Danny Kearns, Jack Payne and new signing Kyle Vassell all shrugged off injuries to make the trip to the Bescot. Only Payne made the starting XI, but the other two are included among the substitutes.
PREDICTION: My money is on Peterborough this evening. They may have lost their last two on the spin, but Ferguson's side have impressed me on a number of occasions this season. The Saddlers, meanwhile, are in shaky form, losing three of their last six.
Both of these sides deserve credit for the way they have bounced back from bitter ends to last season. Posh were relegated with virtually the last kick of the ball, while Walsall stumbled in the playoffs.
Each enjoyed victories in cup competitions in their last outings. Walsall defeated Shrewsbury 3-0 at home in the FA Cup, and Posh saw off Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
However, both side have lost their last two in the league and will be eager to gain ground on the division's pacesetters.
KICKOFF: Walsall get the match under way.
It's been a positive start from Posh. They are seeing plenty of the ball and moving it around the park quickly.
Walsall venture forward through Sam Mantom, who shows good determination, but is eventually dispossessed. The ball goes out off him from a Posh goalkick.
Craig Alcock and Micheal Bostwick exchange passes in midfield before the latter attempts to threat a long through ball into the danger zone, but he overplays it and gifts a goalkick to Walsall.
SHOT! Walsall gain possession in midfield and hoist the ball forward towards Romaine Sawyers. He turns on the edge of the box and lets fly, missing to the left of the goal.
OFF THE BAR! Posh break at the other end and Craig Alcock unleashes a vicious effort from the edge of the area, striking the crossbar. The frame of the goal is still ratting from that one!
It was almost a first Posh goal for Alcock there. He struck that one sweetly and was unlucky not to break the deadlock. Looking at the replay, I think Richard O'Donnell may have gotten a fingertip to it to push it onto the bar.
Half-chance for Walsall as Craig Westcarr picks up a loose ball just outside the area and tries to bend one past Robert Olejnik, but the Peterborough goalkeeper made short work of it.
Great work from Milan Lalkovic along the right flank puts Posh under pressure. He cuts inside and plays a low ball across the face of goal, but the away defence scrambles it away.
Peterborough's game plan appears to be working this evening. They are not letting Walsall see much possession in their half, and are playing good, passing football.
Posh claim the first corner of the evening as Mark Little and Hogan Ephraim combine to stage an attack. The resulting corner is played to the centre of the box, but is confidently dealt with by the Walsall defence.
It isn't one-way traffic by any means. The hosts have just applied some pressure of their own with Romaine Sawyers and Craig Westcarr playing a neat one-two that didn't quite come off, but did spark panic in the Posh area.
CLOSE! Walsall win a free kick in a dangerous position following a foul on Westcarr, and the resultant set piece causes chaos in the Peterborough area. The ball eventually falls to Paul Downing in front of goal, but he directed his effort straight at Olejnik.
GOAL! Walsall 1-0 Peterborough United (Milan Lalkovic)
The Saddlers take the leader courtesy of a terrific solo goal from Chelsea loanee Milan Lalkovic. Posh gave the ball away cheaply in midfield, but the Slovakian tore their defence to pieces with a mazy run before tucking a shot under the keeper from inside the box.
Walsall clearly aren't content with 1-0 as they won the ball back from the restart and went back on the attack. Lalkovic was screaming for it in the box, but his teammates fail to provide any service.
Lalkovic is causing Posh all kinds of problems over on the left. He's just wrong-footed his marker with a deft stepover, only to commit a foul in the process and cause the attack to break down.
Walsall's Andy Taylor is fortunate not to concede a foul as he pulls Mark Little to ground just outside the box. I think Little was giving as a good as he get there, though. It was a difficult one of the referee to call.
Posh win a corner as Britt Assombalonga shows good determination chasing down a lost cause. The visitors get plenty of bodies up into the box, but the move breaks down as one of them commits a foul as the cross sails in.
A half-chance for Walsall goes begging as James Baxendale attempts to line up Craig Westcarr just outside the box, but overplays his pass. The ball eventually falls at the feet of Milan Lalkovic, who blazes a shot into the stands.
Less than five minutes of the first half remaining as Walsall lead Posh 1-0 courtesy of a superb Milan Lalkovic strike. The visitors started brightly, but it looks like the wheels have come off them at the moment.
Darren Ferguson cuts a severe figure on the touchline. I expect his players are in for a bit of hair-dryer treatment worthy of his father at half time.
Peterborough stage a late attack following a corner. The ball is hoisted into the box, but Richard O'Donnell makes an easy claim. Robert Olejnik is forced to race off his line to collect a through ball at the other end moments later.
HALF TIME: Walsall 1-0 Peterborough United
Walsall lead Peterborough 1-0 at the break courtesy Milan Lalkovic's second goal of the season. Posh have it all to do in the second half, and have looked second best for much of the first period.
Darren Ferguson's side started the match well and were unlucky not to take the lead when Craig Alcock rattled the crossbar. I think the Peterborough boss will be disappointed at the way his side have allowed Walsall to boss them after that.
Walsall edged the possession in the first half with 53% to 47%, but one stat you may find interesting is that Walsall have not lost this season in matches where they have taken the lead.
Posh's big failure in the first half was their inability to get any service to strikers Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Britt Assombalonga. They have one of the best attacking records in the league, but have struggled to break the hosts down.
All the action from the second half is coming up, but if you've just joined us, you can get yourself up to speed with what has transpired so far with our half-time report here.
Posh get the match back under way. Can Darren Ferguson's side break down that stubborn Walsall defence in the second half?
Substitute Daniel Kearns races forward for Posh and plays in a cross from the right, but he puts too much on its and it sails harmlessly over the opposition's penalty area.
Jack Payne takes out James Baxendale just outside the box and gifts a free kick to the home side. The resultant cross fails to trouble the visitors' defence and is cleared.
Half-chance for the Saddlers as they win another free kick around 30 yards from goal. Andy Taylor attempts to bend in a shot at goal, but puts his effort wide.
Taylor is given the opportunity to have another pop at goal, this time from closer range, as Posh give away another free kick. He shoots on target, but gets no power behind it, allowing Olejnik to make an easy catch.
Poor play from Posh as Daniel Kearns attempts to find Nathaniel Mendez-Laing during a counterattack, but the two are on different wavelengths and the move breaks down.
CHANCE! Peterborough's Grant McCann plays a poor backpass towards Robert Olejnik, allowing Craig Westcarr in on goal. The Posh stopper pulls off a brilliant save from point-blank range to keep to the scoreline at 1-0. Daniel Kearns is booked in the aftermath for a foul.
SUBSTITUTION: And that blunder will be McCann's final contribution as he is pulled off. Tyrone Barnett is his replacement as Darren Ferguson looks to boost his attack.
GOOD TACKLE! Walsall attack on the break through Milan Lalkovic, but Mark Little slides in and takes the ball from his feet. He cannot prevent the corner, though.
OFF THE LINE! Walsall skipper Andy Butler wins a towering header from the corner, beating Robert Olejnik, but Britt Assombalonga is there to head it off the line!
Posh are really under the cosh now as Walsall keep them on the back foot. The hosts have just had another half-chance, with Andy Taylor dragging a weak shot straight at Olejnik.
Peterborough pile bodies forward as Craig Alcock swings a cross into the danger zone, but only as far as Butler, who heads it clear convincingly.
CHANCE! Posh blow a glorious opportunity to draw level as Britt Assombalonga latches into a bad backpass and bears down on goal. Andy Taylor treks back and puts him under pressure, causing his to scuff his shot straight into Richard O'Donnell.
GOAL! Walsall 2-0 Peterborough United (Romaine Sawyers)
Walsall help themselves to a deserved second! Milan Lalkovic's deft pass was met by an excellent first touch from Romaine Sawyers, who twisted and turned before rifling the ball beyond Olejnik.
CHANCE! Sawyers is almost gifted his second goal in two minutes as another bad backpass falls to him in front of goal. He tried the chip, but doesn't get enough height on it, allowing Olejnik to claim.
Mark Little is the latest man to receive a yellow card for a foul. I think the frustration is getting to him as it really has been men against boys in this second half.
RED CARD! Things go from bad to worse for Posh as Shaun Brisley is sent off for a second bookable offence. He went in late on Milan Lalkovic and can have no complaints about the ref's decision.
GOOD SAVE! Lalkovic makes a nuisance of himself again, exploiting more sloppy defending from Posh to get a shot in on goal. Olejnik didn't see it until late, and did well to get down to his left and make the save.
Darren Ferguson has thrown defender Gabriel Zakuani on for Britt Assombalonga. Has he admitted defeat on this one, and is now looking at damage limitation?
SUBSTITUTIONS: Walsall make a couple of changes as Lalkovic makes way for for Ashley Hemmings, and James Baxendale is replaced by Julian Gray.
Walsall have been excellent today. It's Posh who are up there among the early pacesetters in League One, but the Saddlers have made their attack looked inept, and have punished them for their mistakes at the back.
PENALTY TO WALSALL!
SAVE! Gabriel Zakuani commits a foul in the area and the ref points straight to the spot. It's substitute Ashley Hemmings who steps up to take it, but Olejnik reads his body language correctly and smothers to his left. A good save from him!
Four minutes of stoppage time to play.
FULL TIME: Walsall 2-0 Peterborough United
A big statement of intent from Walsall here tonight as goals from Milan Lalkovic and Romaine Sawyers give them a deserved 2-0 win over Peterborough United. That result moves them up to seventh in the table, just one point off the playoff places.
That's all we've got time for this evening. You can read our full match report here. Many thanks for joining us for this League One clash.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
