Walsall - 2 (Barras 25. 44.)
Crystal Palace - 2 (Hopkin 31. Freedman 78.)

Palace needed to come back twice in order to take a point from this match, but considering that they were missing manager Steve Bruce, they did well to get a point from the game. The two teams ahead of them both ended up losing on the day, and though Norwich moved up in the table the top tightened up just a little, with Palace now being one point closer than they were at the beginning of the afternoon.

Walsall kicked off in cool conditions, and though both sides were passing around the ball nobody looked like getting a shot on goal in the first ten minutes or so. Clinton Morrison and Julian Gray were both denied from attempts after this, but then Pedro Matias fired a shot wide to even up the chances a little. Clinton was denied by a good save from the custodian, James Walker, then Dougie Freedman just failed to find Clinton with a good through ball. Brett Angell was next to try his luck with a shot that Matt Clarke was well awake for, and Julian then had to be alert to snuff out another build-up for the home side, and he forced the ball out for a corner.

Dean Austin defended well to stop another raid by the Saddlers before Walker in goal once again denied Clinton. David Hopkin was then called on to cut out a good move by the home side, his boot just getting in the way of a goalward bound shot by Matias. A cross into the area by Darren Wrack found Matias, who this time got to the ball before Matt could react, but his shot went wide.

It was never going to last though, and with only 25 minutes gone Walsall were awarded a free kick just 20 yards or so out. Zigor Aranalde took the kick, and perfectly picked out Tony Barras, who simply headed the ball into the back of the net to open the scoring for the day. Angell then nearly scored the second, but his header went wide of the upright. A shot by Aki Riihilahti went for a corner, and as the cross came in it was David who got on the end of it and the ball passed through the crowded area and struck the back of the net before the keeper was able to react. Almost immediately Clinton sent in a shot, but it went wide of the post, and then the home side picked up things once more.

Darren Byfield made a good run for the centre of the park, but his attempt was snuffed out by good work from our defence, and just as we were starting to sing their praises they once again went and let us down. From the second set-piece that Walsall were presented with they scored once again, and it was starting to become obvious that we were missing Steve Vickers and Tony Popovic in the heart of the defence.

Another free kick, this time taken by Tom Bennett, once again found Barras, and his header again found the back of the net to give the home side the advantage going to the break. 2-1 meant that Steve Kember and Terry Bullivant would, at least, have something to keep themselves occupied with during the half time recess.

That they managed this finally became obvious late on in the second period of play, but the team certainly kept their loyal fans waiting for a while, and it was fairly late on in the half before the team scored.

Palace kicked off in the second half, and it was Clinton that first took the ball up to the opposition, the defence being equal to the task this time round. Byfield then shot wide of the post when he managed to get past Palace's defence for once, but we were never going to let something like a "near thing" stop us. Julian made another trademark run down the left, but his cross this time was severely lacking, the ball ending up in the stand instead of the penalty area.

Another free kick to the home side once again looked threatening, but Byfield managed to head this one a long way over the top, and then Hayden Mullins got a good cross in, but the attacking players that should have been there for Palace were sorely missing. David floated a pass into the area, but Julian was just unable to connect with the ball.

David was then sent sprawling in the area, but somehow the referee came up with a decision that it was an indirect free kick inside the area, from which, of course, Palace somehow managed to waste the opportunity. A corner to Palace was taken, as usual, by Simon Rodger, and a flying header from Gregg Berhalter was cleared by a desperate defence. Jovan Kirovski then sent a shot well wide of the mark, and it was starting to look as if Palace would have to be alert if they were going to get anything at all from this game.

Dougie then had a great shot well saved by the keeper before an attempt by Wrack was well blocked by Hopkin at the other end. In typical end-to-end stuff neither side seemed able to finish off the passing moves, until suddenly Dougie decided to go on his own. Rounding a couple of defensive players he simply tapped the ball past an advancing keeper, and suddenly the scores were level once again.

Matt Clarke then appeared injured when he clashed preventing a corner, but following treatment he was back up again, and once more in the thick of the action. Let's hope he is all right, though he does at least have two weeks now to make a full recovery. Aranalde then sent in a cross that Matthew Carbon headed just over the top, Barras headed another in that Matt was equal to and to finish off the day Clinton had a good effort well dealt with by Walker in the Walsall goal.

A number of the Palace players seemed to have fairly uneventful second half performances, but all in all Kember and Bullivant would have been pleased with the point, and we will all look forward to the visit of Crewe on the 17th.

Colin Pryce

Walsall: James Walker, Matthew Carbon, Ian Brightwell, Tom Bennett, Darren Wrack, Darren Byfield (Adolphus Ofodile 86), Zigor Aranalde, Tony Barras, Pedro Matias, Brett Angell, Thomas Thorgersen.

Substitutes not used: Lee Harper, Matt Gadsby, Moreira Herivelto, Fitzroy Simpson.

Crystal Palace: Matt Clarke, Dean Austin, David Hopkin, Hayden Mullins, Simon Rodger, Dougie Freedman, Clinton Morrison, Gregg Berhalter, Aki Riihilahti, Julian Gray, Jovan Kirovski.

Substitutes not used: Alex Kolinko, Tommy Black, Craig Harrison, Steve Thomson, Wayne Routledge.

Attendance: 6,795

Played at: Bescot Stadium