Reading 2 Walsall 3 (aet)
Steve Roy - Back in the promised land

A sensational day in Cardiff yesterday for everyone connected with Walsall Football Club and their 17,000+ supporters at the Millennium Stadium. The most dramatic and fantastic minute ever experienced by Saddlers fans saw Sir Ray Graydon’s team turn the match from 2-1 defeat to a glorious 3-2 victory. And so Walsall are back in Division 1 after just one season away. Superb. The day started for this London Saddlers just before 7am. Thanks to great advice from the message board on this site, I was in Cardiff for 11am having parked in Newport and got the train in. A few pre-match beers in the massive Wetherspoons packed with Walsall fans added to the atmosphere, and by 2.30 we were in our seats, right on the goal-line high in the stands.
First half the Saddlers gradually came into the game, but it was the Royals who opened the scoring when a Cureton volley was mis-handled by Jim Walker and the ball trickled agonisingly over the line. Sir Ray’s men came straight back at Reading, but it was the Berkshire side who should have doubled the lead when Mcintyre’s header thundered against the crossbar with Walker well beaten. Just before half-time the Saddlers were unlucky when Leitao’s shot hit Pedro Matias on the Reading goal-line. After half-time it was clear Sir Ray had given the lads some wise words - and within 2 minutes of the restart we were level. Dean Keates had a free-kick tipped round the post, and when the ball came back in to the box a knock-down fell to Don Goodman who acrobatically steered the ball into the net. For the rest of normal time it was Walsall who looked more likely - twice Jorge Leitao looked to be clear on goal only to lack power in the shot.

Nerve-jangling time then as we entered extra time - and immediately Reading stole in front, thanks to a deft header from ex-Saddler Martin Butler. It looked grim for us - with both sets of players tiring on the slippy surface, the game being marked by players losing their footing on a regular basis. Then, three minutes into the last period of extra time, came 60 seconds Saddlers fans will dream about for the next hundred years. First the freakish goal you’ll probably not see for some time - a Reading defender attempting to clear the ball in his own box smashed it against a diving Tony Rougier, and the hapless Reading substitute could only watch in horror as the ball looped over their keeper to send the Saddlers level. From the restart Walsall won possession, the ball was played into Byfield on the edge of area with his back to goal. Turning on a sixpence he immediately fired a fizzing shot which stung past the keeper and nestled joyously inside the Reading net.

Saddlers fans with dodgy tickers then spent 10 minutes on the phone to the chemist ordering more beta-blockers - before the ref ended the contest, the music started thumping, and the heroic Walsall players formed a human chain as Sir Ray thrust his hands to the heavens and spoke of how he was looking forward to seeing his daughter, currently on a world tour. Meanwhile for this Saddler it was on to Yates’ wine lodge for more refreshments and Saddlers songs, before the enjoyable journey home to a London bedecked with Walsall colours just after 1am.

A day that will live long in the memory - thanks to all those who made it possible - the players, Sir Ray, the Walsall board, and the army of Walsall fans who made the trip to Cardiff.

BBC - Walsall break Reading hearts

Walsall staged an amazing comeback in extra-time to steal promotion from Reading at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. The game finished 1-1 in normal time after Don Goodman had cancelled out Jamie Cureton’s opener. Former Walsall player Martin Butler then seemed to have won the match for Reading. But Darren Byfield broke Royals’ hearts with the winner after a bizarre own-goal by Reading substitute Tony Rougier had brought Walsall back into the game. And Alan Pardew’s side must now pick up the pieces after another play-off defeat which sees them stay in Divison Two next season. Reading got off to an electrifying start, with top scorer Cureton sending a clear warning to the Walsall defence that he intended to continue his excellent form.

Key moments
31 mins: James Walker spills Jamie Cureton’s volley into his net
33 mins: Jim McIntrye heads against Walsall crossbar
44 mins: Don Goodman almost scrambles in equaliser
47 mins: Goodman is on target to pull Walsall level
91 mins: Martin Butler puts Reading back in lead in extra-time
109 mins: Reading’s Tony Rougier scores a bizarre own-goal
110 mins: Darren Byfield gives Walsall the lead with an excellent 20-yard shot

The Royals’ striker could have given his side a dream start but slipped in the area just as he prepared to have a shot on goal. Moments later Reading had a penalty appeal waved away after Sammy Igoe appeared to be pulled back by Walsall’s Spanish defender Zigor Aranalde. After soaking up the early pressure, Walsall gradually got themselves back into the game with Jorge Leitao proving a threat to the Reading defence. A period of scrappy play reflected both teams’ edginess as neither made the early breakthrough needed to settle any lingering nerves. It was fitting therefore that Pardew’s team should decide to add a touch of class to proceedings as they so often have during this season. Cureton produced a stunning finish that owed as much to his Michael Owen-like skill as to Walsall keeper James Walker’s calamitous error. The Saddlers defence failed to deal with a long throw into the area which landed at Cureton’s feet.

The Reading striker span and volleyed at Walker who somehow managed to spill the ball into his own net on 31 minutes. Jim McIntyre nearly doubled Reading’s lead but his header struck the post and Butler failed to direct the rebound goalwards. Walsall - clearly rattled by the goal - made an immediate attempt to get back into the game. Aranalde fired a powerful shot fractionally wide of Reading’s post, while Adrian Viveash made an excellent block to stop Paul Hall’s strike. Veteran striker Goodman nearly got the equaliser on the stroke of half-time following a frantic penalty box scramble. Walsall maintained the momentum gathered towards the end of the first half and came out with all guns blazing after the interval. Whitehead did well to keep out a Dean Keates free-kick but his save proved just the prelude to Walsall’s equaliser. The Reading keeper could do nothing to keep out Goodman’s strike on 47 minutes after some good build-up play by Graydon’s side.

The former Wolves striker, buoyed by his goal, was at the heart of Walsall’s best moves. A clever ball through to Leitao almost set up his strike partner but the Portuguese striker was adjudged to be offside. Reading’s best chance of the half came courtesy of an Igoe 20-yard strike that went just wide of the Walsall post. Pardew’s side simply failed to stamp any authority on the second half and spent most of it trying to contain the Saddlers. The Reading boss brought on Nicky Forster and Rougier in an attempt to give his side a greater attacking edge. But their impact on the game was limited as Walsall went in search of the winner. Reading fans nervously watched Andy Tilson’s well-struck shot go just wide with 10 minutes to go.

Neither team could grab a second, so the Play-Off final went into extra-time. And it was again Reading who took the lead despite being on the backfoot for most of the second half. To add to the irony, it was former Walsall player Butler who rose above the defence to head past Walker on 91 minutes. At the other end Viveash made crucial block to preserve the Royals’ lead, while the first half of extra time ended with another frantic scramble in the Reading penalty area. Events were then turned on their head at the start of the second period. Reading substitute Rougier put Walsall back on level terms with a bizarre headed own-goal. And within a minute, the Saddlers took the lead for the first time in the match. Byfield unleashed a low 20-yard shot which beat Whitehead in the Reading goal. Walsall were forced to play with 10 men soon after going 3-2 up. Defender Tony Barras was injured in a collision and was taken off as a precaution. But Reading could not make their numerical advantage count and lost to a valiant Walsall side.

Reading: Whitehead, Viveash, Williams, Murty, Harper, Robinson, Igoe, Parkinson, Butler, Cureton, McIntyre. Subs: Howie, Hunter, Caskey, Forster, Rougier.

Walsall: Walker, Aranalde, Barras, Tillson, Brightwell, Keates, Bennett, Matias, Goodman, Leitao, Hall. Subs: Emberson, Gadsby, Bukran, Angell, Byfield.

Referee: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn)

Sports.com report

Two goals in a minute during extra-time took Ray Graydon’s Walsall side into Nationwide Division One with a 3-2 win over Reading just 12 months after being relegated. Jamie Cureton had given Reading the lead in the 31st minute but it was courtesy of a dreadful error from Walsall keeper James Walker. The former Norwich striker’s 10-yard effort squirmed out of the Saddlers’ keeper’s grasp and crept agonisingly under his body to give the Royals a narrow 1-0 lead at the break. However, it took the Saddlers just three minutes after the break to equalise and it was their veteran striker Don Goodman who scored from close range, following a ball in from the left that was headed on by defender Andy Tillson.

Although the match never reached fever pitch during normal time that was soon to alter in 30 minutes of extra-time. And it was first blood to the Royals that caught Walsall cold in the 91st minute. The other half of the deadly striking duo Martin Butler headed home following a long throw that had been flicked towards the powerful striker. Between them Butler and Cureton had now notched 53 league goals for the 2000-2001 season - but there was to be a sting in the tail. With Alan Pardew’s side seemingly cruising to victory with just 12 minutes of extra-time left substitute Tony Rougier couldn’t get out of the way of a clearance and the ball ricocheted off the former Port Vale man and into the net.

If there was an element of luck about the equaliser there was nothing fortunate about the winner just a minute later. One of three Walsall substitutes Darren Byfield turned on a sixpence from around 25 yards to fire beyond the helpless Phil Whitehead in the Royals goal. Although Tony Barras had to leave the field five minutes from the end of extra-time the Saddlers hung on with 10 men and deservedly reclaimed their place in the first division.