St Kitts and Nevis youth international Tyrese Shade converted a second-half free-kick which proved the difference as Walsall extended their unbeaten English League Two run to six matches after a narrow 1-0 victory at Sutton United on Saturday.
The hosts looked the more likely to score, but substitute Shade, 21, came off the bench just before the hour mark and fired home a superb free-kick on 66 minutes to condemn Sutton to only their second home defeat since August.
Sutton was left to rue missed chances as Shade, who is on loan from Premier League club Leicester City, bent his 20-yard free-kick around the wall and beyond goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis.
Walsall boss Matt Taylor hopes the result will help the “positive mindset” among his team, who lie 14th in the table, 11 points behind Forest Green Rovers after the leaders drew 1-1 at Bradford City to maintain their unbeaten away record this campaign.
“It’s a win that means so much, especially when you look at the performances we’ve put in this month,” Taylor said.
“Today was a different type of game for us, and we had to weather the storm.”
He added: “It was a tough afternoon for us – but we have found a way to win the game. It was slightly hairy at the end, giving needless free-kicks away, but to pick up another three points is fantastic.“
Jamaica-born Simeon Jackson, 34, who went on to make to make 44 appearances for Canada between 2009 and 2017, struck a brace for Chelmsford City, netting in the 21st and 90th minutes, but came up empty-handed as visitors Havant & Waterlooville won the National League South game 3-2 thanks to Jake McCarthy’s second-half hat-trick.
Montserratian defender Donervon Daniels, 27, scored at the wrong end, his 82nd-minute own goal helping visitors Milton Keynes Dons win 4-1 at bottom club Crewe Alexandra in League One.
In the Championship, Darnell Furlong, a 25-year-old defender who is eligible to play for Montserrat, was sent off with 20 minutes to go as third-placed West Bromwich Albion crashed 3-0 at Fulham, who also finished with ten men after Tosin Adarabioyo was sent off with five minutes to go for a studs-up challenge.
The game was all but over as a contest following Furlong’s red card in a match highlighted by Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic’s hat-trick for second-placed Fulham.
Reggae Boy Bobby Reid’s superb through ball put Harry Wilson clear. Still, Furlong’s studs appeared to make slight contact with the pass before the defender took down the former Liverpool midfielder. The defender was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Elsewhere in the second tier, Bermuda captain Nahki Wells blazed over the bar after the break. Still, Bristol City beat visitors Barnsley 2-1 for their first home success since January, snapping a 17-match winless streak at Ashton Gate.
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