Walsall hold on to edge Crawley in five-goal thriller

Posted Sunday, September 29, 2019 by PA

Walsall held on to clinch their third-successive victory with a narrow 3-2 result at Crawley to ruin Gabriele Cioffi’s 50th league game as Reds head coach.

Skipper James Clarke, who scored Walsall’s winner against Scunthorpe the previous week, struck to give the Saddlers the lead in sensational style after only 14 minutes.

Clarke, fed by Rory Gaffney, unleashed a blistering drive from 30 yards which flew into the top corner to the right of goalkeeper Glenn Morris.

Ashley Nathaniel-George missed a good chance for Crawley before the fit-again Elijah Adebayo doubled Walsall’s advantage after 27 minutes with his first goal of the season.

Adebayo poked the ball home from close range after Wes McDonald threaded the ball into the box.

Nathaniel-George was on target from the penalty spot for Crawley two minutes before the break after goalkeeper Liam Roberts brought down Matt Bloomfield.

But McDonald restored the Saddlers’ two-goal advantage two minutes later with a fine right-footed shot into the top corner.

Crawley threatened after the interval with substitute Bez Lubala firing just wide before setting up Nathan Ferguson, who put a good chance wide.

Lubala had a goal-bound shot parried over by Roberts before substitute Josh Payne made it 3-2 with a shot from 25 yards in the third minute of stoppage time.