Match ends, Port Vale 1, Walsall 1.
Port Vale 1-1 Walsall
- From the section Football
Walsall hit back to earn a draw through a Tom Bradshaw goal in an entertaining season-opener against Port Vale.
Vale deservedly led at the break through's Tom Pope close-range strike from Mark Marshall's low cross.
Pope then shot narrowly wide for the hosts, as did Michael O'Connor.
But the Saddlers responded and, after Ashley Grimes forced a fine save from Sam Johnson, Bradshaw levelled when he ran on to a Grimes pass and lifted the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.
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Walsall manager Dean Smith speaks to BBC WM:
"We played really well on the front foot, played some neat and tidy stuff. I'm pleased at the comeback and like to take a lot of confidence from this.
"We've got some really good players in the squad at the moment, I was really pleased.
"We're disappointed with their goal as it came from a deflected cross. We dealt with the aerial balls well and we'll take a lot of confidence from this game.
"We knew what to expect from Port Vale, we knew they put a lot of balls in the box which we couldn't stop the first one, we had to defend it. I'd say I thought we done that quite well."
Line-ups
Port Vale
- 12Johnson
- 21VeseliSubstituted forRobertsonat 86'minutes
- 6Duffy
- 5McGivernBooked at 64mins
- 3Dickinson
- 20Marshall
- 15O'Connor
- 10LinesSubstituted forBrownat 86'minutes
- 8DoddsSubstituted forJenningsat 74'minutes
- 9Williamson
- 11Pope
Substitutes
- 1Neal
- 2Yates
- 4Robertson
- 7Birchall
- 17Brown
- 18Jennings
- 22Lloyd
Walsall
- 1O'Donnell
- 4O'Connor
- 15Chambers
- 6Downing
- 3Taylor
- 14Benning
- 10Sawyers
- 7ChambersBooked at 67mins
- 11BaxendaleSubstituted forCliffordat 70'minutes
- 24Grimes
- 9BradshawSubstituted forBakayokoat 85'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Holden
- 13MacGillivray
- 17Flanagan
- 18Morris
- 20Bakayoko
- 22Kinsella
- 26Clifford
- Referee:
- Darren Bond
- Attendance:
- 7,050
Match Stats
Home TeamPort ValeAway TeamWalsall
- Possession
- Home45%
- Away55%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away4
- Corners
- Home3
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away8
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Port Vale 1, Walsall 1.
Attempt missed. James Chambers (Walsall) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Richard Duffy.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Richard Duffy.
Attempt missed. Tom Pope (Port Vale) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall).
Richard Duffy (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Port Vale. Michael Brown replaces Chris Lines.
Substitution
Substitution, Port Vale. Chris Robertson replaces Frederic Veseli.
Attempt missed. Andy Taylor (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Substitution
Substitution, Walsall. Amadou Bakayoko replaces Tom Bradshaw.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Richard Duffy.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Ryan McGivern.
Adam Chambers (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tom Pope (Port Vale).
Attempt missed. Malvind Benning (Walsall) left footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
Paul Downing (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Pope (Port Vale).
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Sam Johnson.
Attempt saved. Andy Taylor (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Richard Duffy.
Substitution
Substitution, Port Vale. Steven Jennings replaces Louis Dodds.
Substitution
Substitution, Walsall. Billy Clifford replaces James Baxendale.
Booking
Adam Chambers (Walsall) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Adam Chambers (Walsall).
Chris Lines (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ashley Grimes (Walsall).
Michael O'Connor (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Frederic Veseli.
Booking
Ryan McGivern (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card.
(Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan McGivern (Port Vale).
Attempt saved. Tom Pope (Port Vale) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Foul by Malvind Benning (Walsall).
Frederic Veseli (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Romaine Sawyers (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Goal!
Goal! Port Vale 1, Walsall 1. Tom Bradshaw (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Romaine Sawyers.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Sam Johnson.
Attempt saved. Ashley Grimes (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.