Match ends, Walsall 0, Bury 1.
WalsallWalsall0BuryBury1
Craig Jones' goal earned Bury their first league win of the season and ended Walsall's unbeaten start.
The Saddlers claimed a draw and four consecutive wins in August, and went into Saturday's game top of the table.
But they were undone by Jones' sixth-minute strike, which he powered low into the net.
Walsall pushed for an equaliser, but Shakers goalkeeper Rob Lainton produced a string of saves to make sure his side went away with all three points.
Walsall boss Dean Smith told BBC WM:
"I can't have asked any more of the players, they gave it their all.
"We didn't start the game very well and we got punished by a decent goal from them but, for half an hour in the first half it's as well as we've played this season so far.
"It was a good finish from them but looking back we know we could have defended it better."
Bury manager David Flitcroft told BBC Radio Manchester:
"It was the ultimate team performance, in everything we did.
"In a good film, you never remember the start of the film, it's only ghosts that remember the start of the film and you always remember the end.
"At the start of the film today we played some good stuff ourselves, we were unplayable and caused a lot of problems.
"It was a tough game today but that's the way football is."
Line-ups
Walsall
Formation 4-3-3
- 13MacGillivray
- 4O'Connor
- 6Downing
- 3Taylor
- 14Henry
- 7ChambersSubstituted forLalkovicat 76'minutes
- 8Mantom
- 17FlanaganSubstituted forMorrisat 62'minutes
- 10Sawyers
- 9Bradshaw
- 12FordeSubstituted forCookat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Baxendale
- 15Lalkovic
- 16Preston
- 18Morris
- 21Cook
- 22Kinsella
- 30Jezeph
Bury
Formation 4-5-1
- 26Lainton
- 2RileySubstituted forBrownat 50'minutes
- 27Cameron
- 5Clarke
- 3Hussey
- 14JonesBooked at 90mins
- 19Soares
- 4Tutte
- 8MellisSubstituted forPughat 61'minutesBooked at 75mins
- 10Mayor
- 9ClarkeSubstituted forPopeat 61'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Pope
- 12Sedgwick
- 22Pugh
- 28Dudley
- 34Ruddy
- 35Foulds
- 40Brown
- Referee:
- Fred Graham
- Attendance:
- 4,829
Match Stats
Home TeamWalsallAway TeamBury
- Possession
- Home56%
- Away44%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away3
- Corners
- Home9
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home4
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Walsall 0, Bury 1.
Post update
Attempt saved. Tom Soares (Bury) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Post update
Attempt missed. Tom Bradshaw (Walsall) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
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Attempt saved. Sam Mantom (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Post update
Tom Bradshaw (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Andrew Tutte (Bury).
Post update
Attempt saved. Kieron Morris (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt missed. Danny Pugh (Bury) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Post update
Milan Lalkovic (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Reece Brown (Bury).
Substitution
Substitution, Walsall. Milan Lalkovic replaces Adam Chambers.
Booking
Danny Pugh (Bury) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Hand ball by Danny Pugh (Bury).
Post update
Foul by Rico Henry (Walsall).
Post update
Craig Jones (Bury) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Romaine Sawyers (Walsall).
Post update
Peter Clarke (Bury) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Chris Hussey.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Romaine Sawyers (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
