Stoke overcame Walsall to ensure a safe passage into the FA Cup fifth round.

Goals from Mamady Sidibe and Luke Chadwick did the trick for the Coca-Cola Championship outfit and spared them another potential embarrassment.

Conference side Tamworth claimed a goalless draw at the Britannia Stadium in the third round before Stoke scraped through the replay after winning a penalty shoot-out.

But Paul Merson's League One side proved an easier hurdle to overcome as the Potters ground out only their second win in nine games.

The Saddlers came back strongly after going 2-0 down but after Kevin James hauled them back into contention with a 51st-minute strike, Johan Boskamp's side held on for victory.

Stoke are 27 places above the Saddlers and it showed during the early exchanges as they began the brighter at a sun-kissed yet bitterly cold Britannia Stadium.

Paul Gallagher presented strike partner Sidibe with an excellent goalscoring opportunity after eight minutes.

Gallagher's excellent through-ball found Sidibe in space down the right flank and he quickly raced into the 18-yard box but could only lash his shot high and wide.

The Saddlers remained undaunted, however, and moments later on-loan Manchester United striker Mads Timm curled a 20-yard shot narrowly wide. Walsall left-back Daniel Fox then saw a vicious free-kick deflected on to the roof of the net as his side went in search of a potentially money-spinning fifth-round spot.

Merson's men were proving tough and Chadwick saw his shot fly well wide of the far post on the half-hour mark.

Gallagher then fired a left-foot shot wide of the target when well placed inside the box after 35 minutes as Walsall's discipline and organisation threatened to keep Stoke at bay.

Key to the Saddlers' defensive strength was Anthony Gerrard, the cousin of Liverpool captain Steven, who proved he was no shrinking violet with a series of strong challenges.

But a period of home pressure on the stroke of half-time culminated in Sidibe firing home left-footed from 12 yards after Gerrard blocked Karl Henry's initial shot.

Chadwick made it 2-0 shortly after the break when he cut inside from the right flank and hit a fierce shot into the top corner which gave goalkeeper Andy Oakes no chance.

But the strike served as a wake-up call to Merson's youthful side and they found an almost instant response.

Just two minutes later, Mark Wright found space on the right flank and delivered a teasing delivery across the face of goal, where Kevin James tapped home from barely six yards.

Merson's men began to pour forward in numbers and substitute Alex Nicholls was unlucky to see his left-foot shot cannon back off the post.

Stoke were dealt a blow on the hour mark when goalkeeper Steve Simonsen was forced off through injury, but his replacement Ed de Goey preserved the Potters' advantage with a number of notable saves.

Teams:

Stoke Simonsen (de Goey 60), Buxton, Hoefkens, Duberry,Broomes, Chadwick (Kopteff 77), Brammer, Henry, Sweeney,Gallagher (Sigurdsson 90), Sidibe.

Subs Not Used: Mbuyi, Hill.

Booked: Hoefkens.

Goals: Sidibe 45, Chadwick 49.

Walsall Oakes, Pead, Gerrard, Westwood, Fox,Wright (Standing 69), Smith, Leary, James, Timm,McDermott (Nicholls 52).

Subs Not Used: Osborn, Gilmartin, Bradley.

Booked: Leary.

Goals: James 51.

Att: 8,834

Ref: K Stroud (Dorset).