Saddlers sink sorry Pompey

Published Sep. 15, 2012 3:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

Walsall stretched their unbeaten League One record to five games with a 2-1 win at Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors took the lead after 56 minutes when Ashley Hemmings laid the ball off to James Baxendale on the edge of the Pompey box and he smashed a fierce effort in off the crossbar.

The Saddlers doubled their advantage when Pompey failed to clear a Walsall free-kick from the right after 63 minutes and Florent Cuvelier side-footed a superb finish into Mikkel Andersen's bottom corner.

The south-coast side halved the deficit after 69 minutes when Brian Howard's persistence on the left of the area allowed Darel Russell to find Izale McLeod, who swept the ball home at the far post.

Portsmouth failed to break the Saddlers down again, though, and Walsall nearly extended their lead three minutes from time when Jamie Paterson crashed a shot against the bar from 25 yards out.