Walsall continued their fight against relegation by extending their unbeaten
run to four games with this point at a full house Bescot Stadium.
It needed an equaliser 10 minutes from the end to keep their run going and the
goal was a blow to Wolves who have climbed into the first division play-off
zone.
Big central defender Tony Barras, the only player in the Walsall team to have
cost a fee - £20,000 from Reading at the start of the season - was the hero for
the home side.
Only in the team because skipper Adrian Viveash was suspended, he capped a
fine game with the priceless equaliser.
It came from an eightieth minute corner taken by Kevin Harper, and Barras
stormed in to leap high and send a tremendous header screaming into the roof of
the net
That stunned Wolves and their 1,900 fans at the match because they thought it
was all over when their team took the lead in the 76th minute.
Darren Bazeley swept a lovely cross to the far post where bid Neil Emblen
steamed in to head beyond James Walker.
Earlier Walker had been the Saddlers hero with several fine saves in each
half.
Walsall, having won their three Black Country derby's before this one, found
themselves under heavy pressure from a lively Wolves side in which striker
Michael Branch was always a threat.
In the 12th minute Branch nipped round Ian Roper before hitting a fierce drive
which Walker managed to beat out.
But the save of the match came in the 18th minute when Wolves defender Kevin
Muscat spotted Walker off his line as he prepared to take a free kick near the
centre circle.
Muscat struck a thundering drive which was dropping just under the bar when
Walker some how scrambled back leapt high and finger tipped the ball over.
Walsall's best chance in the half came after 30 minutes, Harper crossing to
the far post where Mark Robins miscued his header wide from close range.
In the second half Wolves continued to look the more dangerous side going
forward, but Walker was not overawed, keeping out good efforts from Branch and a
particularly vicious drive from visitor's skipper Andy Sinton.
It was perhaps no more than they deserved when Wolves took the lead, but they
were rocked back on their heels by a fighting response from the Saddler's and
the priceless equaliser from Barras - his fourth goal in only 17 appearances.
And Barras could have made it an even happier day for his team when, in the
85th minute, he got on the end of a free kick from Harper but this time steered
his header just over the angle.
Teams
Walsall: Walker, Marsh, Roper, Barras, Padula, Harper, Bukran,
Bennett, Matias (Wrack 82), Ricketts, Robins (Forester 82).
Subs Not Used: Keates, Larusson, Gadsby.
Goals: Barras 80.
Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat, Sedgley, Pollet, Naylor, Bazeley,
Emblen, Robinson, Sinton, Akinbiyi, Branch.
Subs Not Used: Simpson, Flo, Corica, Green, Stowell.
Booked: Bazeley, Naylor.
Goals: Emblen 76.
Att: 9,422.
Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).
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