<b>Full time Saturday January 12th </b> (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Full time Saturday January 12th

9:20am Sunday 13th January 2008 in Football By Dave Wallis

Match report from the Banks's Stadium, Walsall

Coca Cola League One

Fulltime Walsall 2 Swindon Town 2

A breathtaking four-minute spell in the second half saw play-off chasing Walsall pegged back by visiting Swindon as both sides extended their unbeaten runs.

Walsall manager Richard Money lost the services of ex-Town striker and top goal scorer Tommy Mooney through a hamstring pull, and fellow striker Michael Ricketts through an Achilles injury. Lee Holmes arrived from Derby on loan and took his place on the left wing against the team for whom he had previously been on loan.

For Swindon, skipper Hasney Aljofree was suspended allowing Jamie Vincent to take his place in the centre of defence and Andy Nicholas to move to left back.

Edrissa Sonko and Alex Nicholls created early chances for Walsall and Blair Sturrock struck a shot from an Andy Nicholas throw to test Ince inside the first ten minutes. Then Sturrock broke clear and snapped in a shot that Clayton Ince dealt with.

On twenty minutes Sonko had a good chance but was challenged by Nicholas with the clearance completed by Brezovan as Town looked for an offside flag. Then Miguel Comminges ran the ball down the right after a Billy Paynter knock on, but Sofiene Zaaboub failed to complete the opportunity.

Almost immediately the home side opened the scoring. Saddlers' striker Nicholls' shot was parried by Peter Brezovan but Sonko poked home the rebound to give Walsall the lead.

At the other end of the pitch, Walsall defender Anthony Gerrard appear to handle the ball in the box but referee Swarbrick waved play on.

Then came Swindon's best chance so far. With ten minutes of the first half remaining, Jon-Paul McGovern played through Lee Peacock who rounded Ince, but his shot struck the outside of the post and rolled harmlessly wide.

Halftime Walsall 1 Swindon Town 0

The second half began with Swindon playing towards their travelling fans and a mix up between Jerel Ifil and Miguel Comminges caused concern in the first two minutes of the second period. Then a Richard Taundry free-kick was clutched by Brezovan as the home side looked to increase their lead.

Lee Holmes blocked a Jon-Paul McGovern cross to concede a corner, from which Zaaboub struck a shot which Ince just parried to commence a succession of Swindon corners. From the fourth, Easton volleyed wide with his left foot as Swindon pressed hard for the equaliser.

With seven minutes of the second period gone, Holmes forced Brezovan to claim a free-kick as the game opened up and opportunities arose at both ends of the pitch.

As the pitch cut up under the heavy conditions, a quick free-kick played in Holmes, and his jinking run ended in a ball from which Nicholls shot over the bar as Walsall pressurised.

But on 65 minutes, the game burst into life in incredible style. First Paynter won a corner for Town and from Zaaboub's set-piece to the far-post, Andy Nicholas crashed home to level the scores.

Then within a minute Craig Easton drifted in from the right and headed the goal that gave Town the lead for the first time. But still the action didn't slow.

Darren Wrack raced down the Walsall right, fired over a cross that Brezovan failed to deal with, and Sonko finished at the far post to produce the game's third goal in four minutes and square the scoring once more.

Both managers made changes in an attempt to force superiority, but Taundry cleared off the Walsall line with 15 minutes remaining as the game could go either way.

Then the same Walsall defender conceded a corner from a Jon-Paul McGovern move, but the opportunity was wasted as the game entered its final ten minutes.

Billy Paynter created a chance that saw substitute Christian Roberts fall to the ground in the penalty box but fail to impress the referee, and Peacock was unable to create a shot as the ball ran loose.

With five minutes remaining substitute Demontagnac had a shot pushed wide by Brezovan but a free-kick had already been given, and with time running out Kaid Mohamed, on for Jon-Paul McGovern, played the ball to the far post but his cross just evaded Paynter.

The game was into added time, but still Nicholls had time to test Brezovan after Ifil could only take the pace off a long kick from Ince, and the three minutes added by Swarbrick passed without incident.

The game was the last for the caretaker duo of David Byrne and Ady Williams, with Maurice Malpas taking the reins on Monday. The new boss would have been impressed by the spirit shown by his new team.

Fulltime Walsall 2 Swindon Town 2

Walsall: Clayton Ince, Rhys Weston, Anthony Gerrard, Scott Dann, Richard Taundry, Edrissa Sonko, Mark Bradley, Darren Wrack, Lee Holmes (Ishmel Demontagnac 70), Alex Nicholls, Troy Deeney.

Swindon Town: Peter Brezovan, Miguel Comminges, Jerel Ifil, Jamie Vincent, Andy Nicholas, Jon-Paul McGovern (Kaid Mohamed 85), Lee Peacock, Craig Easton, Sofiene Zaaboub, Billy Paynter, Blair Sturrock (Christian Roberts 72).

Attendance: 5,448

Referee: Neil Swarbrick