Crewe 0-1 Walsall: Saddlers miss out on automatic promotion in heartbreaking fashion

Hall produced the match-winning moment in the 59th-minute when he hooked a smart finish beyond the reach of Crewe Alexandra goalkeeper Filip Marschall.

Walsall were on the brink of winning promotion but Bradford City pipped them to the post with a stoppage time-minute winner against Fleetwood Town.

Crewe squandered a gilt-edged chance in the closing stages when Finley Roberts scuffed his finish straight at Tommy Simkin from point-blank range.

[Bradford/Notts County results]

Over 2,500 away supporters descended on Gresty Road in the hope that Walsall could end their six-year stay in League Two by putting paid to a dismal 13-match winless run.

In his attempt to reverse that trend, Mat Sadler made three changes from the team that began their 1-0 defeat against Accrington Stanley at Bescot last weekend.

Ryan Stirk returned to the base of midfield while Jamie Jellis and Levi Amantchi were also recalled, as Oisin McEntee, Albert Adomah and Jamille Matt dropped to the bench.

Walsall started on the front-foot and looked up for the fight during the opening exchanges. David Okagbue failed to keep a pair of headers down from two deadly corner deliveries from Jamie Jellis and Harry Williams fired a tame effort into Marschall's midriff. 

Crewe did fashion a half-chance when Calum Agius picked the ball up on the edge of the box but his strike was comfortably gathered by Tommy Simkin at his near post. 

Nathan Asiimwe put Simkin in a spot of bother moments later with a poor headed back pass. The Walsall goalkeeper emerged and Owen Lunt went down searching for a penalty but the referee rightly waved away his claims. 

Taylor Allen came closest for either side when he drove a fierce low shot wide of Marschall's right-hand post from the edge of the box. 

Williams was a rock at the back and started a promising counter-attack with a crucial intervention on the right. Jellis turned his marker with a balletic spin, collecting Williams' pass with the crispest of first touches. 

He charged down the right and squared for Stirk on the edge of the box. The ball was eventually worked to Hall but his effort was comfortably saved by Marschall. 

Hall did have the Crewe goalkeeper at full stretch on the cusp of half-time. The Birmingham City loanee chased a lost cause inside the box and Marschall plunged to his right to tip a low strike round the post.

Amantchi was replaced by Matt at the break after an ineffectual first half but Crewe came closest to a breakthrough at the start of the second half. 

Crewe worked a corner short and Conway drove a low effort through bodies from an acute angle which Liam Gordon crucially swept off the line.

Hall, who was along with Williams the best player on the bench, delivered the crucial breakthrough just before the hour-mark. 

Williams launched a long throw into the penalty area which was cushioned down by Okagbue. Hall had his back to goal but hooked an inventive finish past Marschall to send the away end into raptures.

Sadler withdrew Alfie Chang and Hall during the closing stages as Walsall faced a tense battle to get over the finish-line. Crewe began to apply the pressure and Chris Long stung the palms of Simkin with a powerful shot towards the near post.

Marschall denied Williams' close-range finish with an outstretched leg but Crewe had a golden chance to equalise late on. Crewe clipped the ball into the box from the left but substitute Roberts fluffed his lines from point-blank range. 

Walsall were 90 seconds away from getting the job done when the news broke that Bradford had scored a late winner against Fleetwood Town at Valley Parade in the sixth-minute of stoppage time.

Teams 

Crewe (4-3-3): Marschall; Billington, O'Riordan, Knight-Lebel (Connolly 84), Conway; Lunt, Thomas (Roberts 68), Sanders; Agius, Thibaut (Bogle 43), Long (Finney 84).

Unused: Booth, Sant, Moore.

Walsall (3-1-4-1-1): Simkin; Okagbue, Williams, Allen; Stirk; Asiimwe, Jellis (Adomah 90), Chang (McEntee 70), L Gordon; Hall (Lakin 78); Amantchi (Matt 46)

Unused: Hornby, J Gordon, Johnson.

Referee: Matt Corlett