Frustration for stuttering Cobblers as Walsall fight back to claim draw at Sixfields

Town improved vastly on their efforts from the weekend in the first-half and they were ahead after only four minutes when Mitch Pinnock capitalised on a defensive error.

But this was very much a game of two halves and things went awry in the second 45 minutes, with Conor Wilkinson's low finish earning Walsall a deserved point.

Cobblers remain second but have played more games than the teams below them and face a crunch encounter with rivals Tranmere Rovers at Sixfields on Saturday.

Joseph Mills took the armband back on his first start since August and Louis Appere also returned to the team as Ali Koiki and Josh Eppiah dropped out.

Cobblers were given a huge helping hand for the opening goal just four minutes in.

Visiting goalkeeper Carl Rushworth got his clearance all wrong, kicking straight to Pinnock and he took a few touches before slamming into the bottom corner despite attempts to foul him.

Wilkinson headed wide as Walsall sought a swift reply, and the home side threatened again when Liam Roberts required strong fists to beat away Joss Labadie's venomous drive.

But Town were looking far more threatening in attack than they had done at Rochdale only three days earlier as further chances came and went before half-time.

Appere's first-time flick from a Paul Lewis cross hit the wrong side of the net and Sam Hoskins tested the goalkeeper with a 20-yard curler before Pinnock missed an excellent opportunity to double his and Town's tally, shooting tamely into the gloves of Rushworth having been teed up by Appere.

Those missed chances came back to haunt the Cobblers within five minutes of the restart when they failed to clear their lines and Wilkinson fizzed a fine finish into the bottom corner.

Town's grip on the game slipped away and now Walsall fancied their chances of turning it around and they twice nearly did so, first through Wilkinson who side-footed a fraction wide and then George Miller but his glancing header was off target.

The second-half was ragged and scrappy and Cobblers lost all of the momentum they had before half-time as the game petered towards its conclusion.

As poor as they were though, the hosts did have a golden chance to snatch victory in stoppage-time when Aaron McGowan headed Pinnock's corner goalwards but Hoskins could only glance onto the post from yards out.

Match facts

Cobblers: Roberts, Magloire, Horsfall (c), Guthrie, McGowan, Mills (Koiki 66), McWilliams, Lewis (Eppiah 80), Pinnock, Hoskins, Appere (Rose 90)

Subs not used: Maxted, Abimbola, Lubala, Ashley-Seal

Walsall: Rushworth, White, Daniels, Monthe, Osadebe, Kinsella, Earing, Labadie, Shade, Miller (Rodney 66), Wilkinson (Tomlin 75)

Subs not used: Rose, Menayese, Ward, Perry, Kiernan

Referee: Paul Howard

Attendance: 4,861

Walsall fans: 385