Walsall goalkeeper Ron Green produced a brilliant performance – including a stunning first-half penalty save – to keep Fulham at bay and secure a point for his side at the Bescot Stadium this afternoon.
Without Green in goal, the Saddlers would have lost a third straight game and added to beleaguered boss John Barnwell’s seemingly ever-growing pile of problems. Walsall will feel justice was done by Green’s spot-kick save midway through the first half after they protested bitterly about the contentious penalty award given by referee Roger Pawley. After Green had pushed out a shot from Clive Walker, Mark Rees appeared to be fouled by Iain Dowie but the official pointed to the spot instead.
Enraged home players surrounded the referee but their desperate pleas fell on dear eras. Fulham midfielder Justin Skinner stepped forward but his penalty was superbly saved by Green, who dived to his right – on the basis of information provided by former Walsall goalkeeper Mick Kearns. Skinner, whose failure from twelve yards was his only mistake on an afternoon when he was easily Fulham’s finest performer, said afterwards that referee placed the ball in a hole and did not allow him to move it, preventing him making a clean contact with the penalty.
Green made another superb stop to keep out a shot from Andy Sayer five minutes later and then denied Clive Walker and Dowie in the second half. The best Barnwell’s boys could manage was an effort from winger Rees that was easily fielded by Fulham’s number one Jim Stannard.
WALSALL: Green; Skipper, Mower, Gritt, Jones (Hawker 63), Smith, Kelly, Rees, Thorpe, Rimmer, Saville. Subs (not used): Bertschin.
BOOKED: Rees, Kelly, Gritt.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling, Scott, Bremner, Skinner, Mauge, Barnett, Walker, Dowie, Sayer. Subs (not used): Watson, Donnellan.
BOOKED: Scott.
REFEREE: Roger Pawley (Cambridge).
ATTENDANCE: 3,969.
