A West Ham side at full strength aside from Ferdinand and Sinclair, were outplayed by a superb Saddlers performance tonight in the rain at Upton Park. Despite conceding a soft headed goal by Lomas with only 2 minutes gone, Walsall battled back and should have taken the game into extra time. 15 goal attempts – 10 on target, but the Saddlers bow out of this season’s Worthington Cup.

Jorge Leitao scored with a header from a Pedro Matias corner to equalise on the night after only 6 minutes. Walsall clearly benefited from Sir Ray’s astute reading of West Ham’s weaknesses in the first leg – the London side’s defending from corners was amateur. Never have I seen Walsall look so threatening from the set piece – and we had plenty of chanes – 16 corners in all, to the home side’s 6.

West Ham turned up 5 minutes early for the second half – but even Harry Redknapp’s undoubted verbal volleys couldn’t rouse the Hammers. Kanoute rightly had a goal ruled out for offside, but Darren Byfield, on as a sub for Angell, missed a brilliant chance midway through the second half, when Pedro skipped past the defence to send in a cross which Byfield planted too close to Hislop.

As the game entered the last 10 minutes the ageing West Ham full backs, Winterburn and Pearce, were clearly on the back foot, and the Saddlers really turned the screw. Amazingly Walsall had an effort cleared off the line on 90 minutes following a goalmouth scramble. Then, just when we thought it couldn’t get any more agonising, Walsall had an effort that cannoned off the keeper and hit the bar.

Harry Redknapp afterwards paid full credit to Walsall, saying we “played some great stuff – you can see why they are top of their division.”

Great work from the Saddlers fans who outsang the 10,000 home fans keeping up a constant Barmy Army chant throughout the second half. Let’s take this form and put 5 past Notts County on Saturday.