Wes McDonald’s stunner completed a late comeback for the Saddlers to break Crawley hearts.
Reds took the lead when Panutche Camara fired in his first goal of the season, to put the Reds in front, before a Saddlers fightback.
Josh Gordon rolled in an equaliser when he found the ball in space, and Wes McDonald completed the comeback with a stunner, curling in off the crossbar.
John Yems named a starting eleven with only one change after victory at home to Bradford last Saturday, as Tarryn Allarakhia came in for Nathan Ferguson, with Crawley looking for only their second league away win of the season.
Crawley made a positive start but were almost behind when Wes McDonald’s cross forced Jamie Sendles-White into diverting the ball narrowly wide of his own goal, before Tarryn Allarakhia nearly scored an excellent goal as he picked the ball up on the edge of the box before skipping past two defenders, but he couldn’t apply the finishing touch, slicing narrowly wide.
Walsall threatened again when Elijah Adebayo worked his way into a dangerous area, but his low drive across goal was well cut out by Jordan Tunnicliffe.
Crawley found the opener in the 29th minute when Josh Doherty’s shot pinballed around the Walsall box before coming out to Panutche Camara who tucked a great left-footed strike into the top corner.
The Saddlers thought they had found a reply when Adebayo rounded Glenn Morris and finished into an open net, but he was adjudged to be offside. Then Walsall were denied again as Dan Scarr’s header was destined for the bottom corner, before being clawed away brilliantly by Glenn Morris.
Crawley continued to impress in the second half, as Nadesan’s low effort was held by Liam Roberts after he ran with the ball from the halfway line.
But the Saddlers eventually found the equalizer when the ball fell to Josh Gordon in the box who beat one man before firing into the bottom corner on 77 minutes to give Walsall the equaliser.
James Clarke headed over from a free-kick as the goal completely changed the game, and straight after, Sendles-White produced a brilliant sliding challenge to deny Caolan Lavery who was through on goal.
The Saddlers completed the comeback late on, as McDonald produced a moment of magic to win the game, as he twisted and turned on the edge of the box before curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner, to snatch a late lead for Walsall in the 87th minute, with the Reds leaving Walsall empty handed.
Crawley Town: Morris, Doherty, Palmer, Nadesan (Dallison 59), Allarakhia (Francomb 59), Tunnicliffe, Sendles-White, Bulman, Dacres-Cogley, Camara, Lubala
Attendance: 4011 (154 Crawley)
Report by Coren Blackburn
