THE SADDLERS have slipped to a home defeat at the hands of Bury.

The first action saw Daniel Fox, who was being used in a central defensive position, take a knock after a collision with Dean Keates that left him in need of lengthy treatment. Thankfully he was able to resume.

With a swirling wind, neither 'keeper was tested in the opening quarter-of-an-hour as both sides forced a corner each with ultimately came to nothing.

A Bury corner on 17 minutes was mis-judged by Clayton Ince and a flicked effort off the head of Darren Kempson landed just wide.

The first sight of goal for The Saddlers didn't arrive until 21 minutes when Ince's long kick set Martin Butler away but his shot was tame.

Fox was booked for a foul out wide on William Mocquet as the twice-take free-kick was headed over the crossbar by Andy Bishop.

The game failed to ignite with Richard Money's men needing to step up a gear against hard-working opposition who were battling for their Football League lives.

A rare chance for Butler from a corner saw him head over under pressure from Andy Warrington. Then, at the other end, Mocquet's free-kick was flicked goalwards by Paul Scott, who was up from the back to see his effort land narrowly wide of the target.

The visitors took the lead four minutes from half-time when a mix-up between Ince and Gerrard allowed Tom Youngs to nip in and guide the ball home .

It was a wake-up call that Richard Money's men badly needed for the second period.

Kevin Cooper was replaced by Ishmel Demontagnac as Walsall made a lively start to the half and after a corner was half-cleared, Butler delivered an excellent cross that caught out Warrington but was hooked over by Bejamin from close range.

On 51 minutes, Westwood put in a deep cross that forced Andy Parrish to clear right in front of goal as The Saddlers upped the pressure, with Demontagnac playing a key role.

A measured ball from Keates set Demontagnac racing away down the wing in the next attack and his inviting low ball across the face of goal just evaded Benjamin.

Moments later, Benjamin was involved in the thick of the action again when his towering header from a Keates corner was deflected onto the post by a Bury defender on the line. There were loud appeals for handball but the referee was having none of it and awarded a corner which Benjamin fired over.

At the other end, a mistake by Kris Taylor. who was now playing in the heart of defence, almost let in Bishop as the game burst into life.

Darren Wrack replaced Benjamin on 64 minutes before a corner fell out to Fox whose long-range drive was acrobatically tipped over by the flying Warrington.

With time running out, the visitors almost snatched another goal when Scott got in a header from a corner at the far post but he was denied by Ince.

There was a third and final change by Richard Money as Hector Sam replaced Dobson.

With ten minutes to go, Fox was wrestled off the ball out wide and as the cross came into the danger zone it was half-cleared into the path of Bishop who saw his low piledriver cannon off the base of the post and away to safety.

It was a real let-off as The Saddlers tried in vain to get back into the game. A stooping header from Sam was deflected up and over, whilst Wrack's shot following a corner was easy for Warrington to gather as Bury recorded a vital win whilst we were left to reflect on a lost opportunity to go back to the top of the table.

As reported by the Official Walsall Web Site