Nine-man Latics beaten

RED CARD . . . Lee Croft

WALSALL 2, ATHLETIC 0

LEE Croft and Brian Wilson were both sent off as Athletic suffered a first defeat in six.

Erhun Oztumer got the opening goal from the penalty spot in the 79th minute after Peter Clarke had tripped Simeon Jackson.

Athletic had competed very well with 10 men up to then and Tope Obadeyi hit the post in the second half with a drive from outside the box as a free-kick was teed up for him.

Connor Ripley made a great first-half save to deny Kieron Morris, after Lee Croft had been sent off on 16 minutes for a late, high tackle on Jason McCarthy.

Athletic battled on and looked good for a point up to the spot-kick, but referee John Brooks failed to spot a clear foul on Aaron Amadi-Holloway in the lead-up to the penalty incident and then sent Wilson off after he clashed off the ball with Amadou Bakayoko in the 82nd minute.

Bakayoko made the points safe for the hosts in the third minute of added time with a fierce drive past Ripley as the hosts made it five straight wins at the Banks's Stadium.