Taylor Allen celebrates scoring for WalsallRex Features

Taylor Allen (right) celebrates putting Walsall ahead with his 11th goal of the season

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport England

Walsall made light of their dismal end to the League Two season to take a two-goal advantage into the second leg of their play-off semi-final with Chesterfield.

The away side, who won just three of their final 21 league games this season to drop from first to fourth, took the lead when Taylor Allen coolly slotted home from the penalty spot after Liam Mandeville had taken out Liam Gordon.

The Saddlers made it 2-0 before the break when Alfie Chang drilled home a fierce low shot from the edge of the area.

Tom Naylor and Aribim Pepple forced saves from Tommy Simkin in the Walsall goal either side of Ash Palmer's header which bounced off the crossbar but the home side could not find a goal to take into the second leg.

Mat Sadler's men will welcome the Derbyshire side to the Bescot Stadium for the second leg on Friday.

Saddlers shock soaring Spireites

Chesterfield had claimed a league-high 28 points in their final 13 matches to snatch seventh place ahead of Salford City on the final day of the season last week.

In contrast, Walsall's season ended in heartbreaking fashion as their 1-0 win at Crewe Alexandra, a first since February, looked like being enough to see them go up automatically only for Bradford City to score in the final moments of time added on against Fleetwood Town to pip them to third.

The home side began on the front foot and enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the opening exchanges, as Simkin was called into action by Ryan Colclough's well-hit shot in the area.

However, the visitors won a penalty kick in one of their first real forays forward when Mandeville's attempt to cut out Allen's incisive pass into Gordon took out the Walsall man and Allen confidently scored from the spot.

That rocked Chesterfield and they fell further behind when Chang scored the first goal of his professional career after the hosts could only half clear Gordon's low ball into the middle.

Paul Cook's men, who are looking to win successive promotions having won the National League title last season, had the better of things after the break but the away side defended bravely and Stoke loanee Simkin did well when called upon.

The result means that of the five play-off first legs played so far not one has been won by the home side.

Chesterfield assistant manager Danny Webb told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"They played their style better than we played ours. We weren't quite on it.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't give something for the crowd to get excited about but it would have felt a lot worse if they had gone and got a third.

"At 2-0 at half-time in front of 9-10,000 people we could have buckled and the players didn't. They stuck with it.

"We'll all give it the cliche that it's only half-time in the tie and we have to stick to that. We knew if we were 2-0 up today that if Walsall got the first goal after one minute in the next game then we're under pressure, same with them.

"A lot of the Walsall fans think they're there so let them think that. We have to go there and prove them wrong."

Walsall boss Mat Sadler told BBC WM:

"I thought we played well. We started a bit edgy but we grew into the game.

"There were some really good performances so I have to be pleased with that, but it's nothing yet because there's half of the game to go.

"The group never gives up and never feels sorry for itself. We're fighters and I thought that was a fighting performance from us today.

"I'm so pleased for Alfie [Chang]. I knew when we signed him where he was at with his recovery and we're seeing the benefits of him being fit now."

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