Promotion-chasing Wrexham suffer loss to Walsall

Walsall halted Wrexham’s promotion charge as goals from Jack Earing, Isaac Hutchinson and Taylor Allen earned a 3-1 victory at the Bescot Stadium.

The Saddlers opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a high-quality goal.

Freddie Draper’s backheel sent Earing behind the defence and the midfielder, making his first start after a year out with an ACL injury, slotted past Arthur Okonkwo.

The lead lasted just eight minutes as Wrexham equalised from the spot.

Tom Knowles’ block of Paul Mullin’s thunderbolt was adjudged handball and Mullin blasted the penalty straight and high into the net.

It was the first goal Walsall had conceded at home in 390 minutes but another should have followed two minutes later.

Saddlers goalkeeper Jackson Smith lost control of the ball in the six-yard box but Mullin hoofed it over the bar.

Walsall regained the lead on the hour when Hutchinson curled a 20-yard free-kick into the bottom corner.

Mullin then blasted against the underside of the bar but substitute Allen secured the points with a tap-in from David Okagbue’s cross seven minutes from time.