Report by John Patrick Heeley

Wigan bowed out of this season's LDV Trophy thanks to an injury time goal from teenager Ian Gaunt in a game played between two sides littered with trainees and reserves.

Gary Birch had given Walsall a lead late in the first half before former Saddler Gino Padula levelled on the stroke of half time.

Both Walsall manager Ray Graydon and Wigan gaffer Bruce Rioch used this LDV Trophy Second Round match as a training ground for their respective up and coming hopefuls as both teams were littered with teenagers with hardly any or no experience at all in playing at this level.

With the two sides locking horns again this coming Friday night in a much more important fixture they both decided to rest the vast majority of their senior squad but the talent that did shine through did impress however.

The game was played on a surface that left a lot to be desired with sand spread across large parts of the area which did little for a skillful game from either side with errors and cock ups throughout the entire ninety minutes of play.

Walsall did create the majority of opportunities in the first half and within the first 10 minutes Darren Wrack, one of the more experienced members of the side, should have done far better when he received a cross from the right, and probably would have on a better pitch, but is hesitation cost him the ball and Wigan cleared.

Poor defending on the quarter of an hour mark almost gifted the home side a goal and had Stuart Balmer clearing behind for a corner as Walsall were ready to pounce on a loose ball bobbling around the goal mouth.

On the half hour mark loan keeper Andy Marriott did very well to smother the ball at the feet of Darren Wrack as the Walsall forward charged in to get on the end of a low cross from the right wing.

Ten minutes later Walsall forced a corner out on the right which was flicked to the near post but returned straight back to be lofted into the middle of the box where Ian Gaunt was waiting with his head but his effort looped wide of the far post.

Wigan then had a couple of rare chances at the Walsall goal. Firstly Gareth Griffiths fired a header straight at Emberson in the Walsall goal from a corner.

Then Neil Redfearn had the opportunity of breaking the deadlock when a misunderstanding between the goalkeeper and one of his defenders allowed the veteran midfielder to steal the ball inside the Saddlers' area but either his lack of control or the state of the penalty area made sure that nothing came of the move.

Then with seconds ticking away in the opening period Wigan gifted Walsall a goal.

Defender Gareth Griffiths failed to control a simple pass to him and allowed teenager GARY BIRCH to sneak in and blast the ball into the back of the net from 20 yards out.

The dust hadn't even settled when Wigan gave their reply. Straight from the restart the ball was fired upfield and GINO PADULA, the former Walsall left back and last season's player of the year at the Bescot, curled a cracker past Emberson and in off the near post from 30 yards out.

To his credit Padula didn't rise to the taunts he was receiving throughout the game from the Walsall faithful and even when scoring his stormer of a goal he simply turned away from the home fans and walked away.

HALF TIME: Walsall 1 Wigan 1

Wigan didn't really have that much to shout about in the second half with Walsall doing a lot of the running.

Padula did get a lovely low cross into the middle of the goalmouth which was cleared back by a diving clearance from the Walsall defence only for the assistant referee to flag for offside.

Five minutes later Griffiths had to clear the Wigan goal mouth from a dangerous cross to the far post.

Young Wigan trainee was unfortunate to be adjudged offiside after a clever through ball from substitute Craig Cunningham had split the Walsall defence in two giving him a clear run on goal.

Then within minutes Wigan's best chance of the half fell to Alan McLoughlin. Former Glentoran star Hugh Dickson did extremely well to keep the ball in play along the right touchline and raced down the flank with it.

He beat a defender to the byeline and managed to get a cross into the heart of the goalmouth.

This was flicked on by a Walsall defender, landing at McLoughlin's feet but the former Republic of Ireland international couldn't control the ball and the chance went begging.

With seconds ticking away and extra time and the dreaded golden goal or even the accursed penalty shoot out looming Walsall subject their guests to one final peice of pressure which succeeded in earning them a corner kick down on the left.

The corner was taken by Wrack and was flicked on by Hawley to Ian Guant who was waiting to smash the ball past Marriott with what proved virtually the last kick of the game.

The majority of the 101 or so Wigan fans didn't hang about and immediatley set off for their cars and coach, sensing that it was merely a matter of seconds after the restart before the referee blew to put a halt to the proceedings and they weren't wrong.

The victory earned Walsall a trip to the Britiannia Stadium for next week's area quarter final but the bigger prize will be this coming Friday at the JJB Stadium in front of the Sky TV cameras.

FULL TIME: Walsall 2 Wigan 1