Walsall 2-1 Carlisle United: Late double sends Blues out of FA Cup

A first-half Ryan Edmondson goal had put the Blues on course for a second round victory at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.

But the Saddlers levelled in the 87th minute through Andy Williams - before fellow sub Douglas James-Taylor won it in added time.

There was then a mass bust-up involving several players after the final whistle as Carlisle crashed out of the competition.

United took the initiative in a positive first-half showing, capped by Edmondson's impressive finish, but went on the defensive for the entirety of the second half.

Walsall's leveller was a moment to forget for Blues keeper Tomas Holy, who misjudged a ball forward allowing Williams to score.

And James-Taylor's 92nd-minute finish sent Michael Flynn's side into Monday's third round draw.

United boss Paul Simpson made three changes from the side that had started at Salford City the previous weekend.

It saw Morgan Feeney, Fin Back and Callum Guy miss out - the first two with injury, the latter with tonsilitis - as Corey Whelan, Jack Ellis and Jordan Gibson came into the side.

There was a welcome return to the squad for fit-again Jamie Devitt and Ben Barclay.

Walsall, meanwhile, made one change with Liam Kinsella taking the place of Liam Bennett.

The Saddlers' side included two former Blues players in Hayden White and Brandon Comley.

It was a meeting between sides who had faced each other in the league just two weeks previously, and Walsall started the brighter in a tight start.

Tom Knowles was a threat on the right and in the sixth minute he mis-hit a shot from a good position.

Simpson responded early to Walsall's midfield advantage by pushing Jon Mellish forward from defence, and eventually the tactical change changed the course of the first half.

Flynn's side had the better of the opening 20 minutes without troubling Holy.

United then broke at their hosts with Mellish a threat with a run on the break, Liam Kinsella's intereption preventing him from setting up Jordan Gibson.

Edmondson and Owen Moxon then had shots blocked before Gibson sped clear of Kinsella to set up Kristian Dennis, whose low shot was saved by Owen Evans.

Carlisle were enjoying their best spell now and made it count on 29 minutes.

A ball down the left was kept in by Mellish and when he laid it back, Jack Armer crossed and Edmondson read the bounce to volley impressively past Evans.

United could have conceded just four minutes later when Saddlers captain Donervon Daniels joined an attack on the right, cutting into the box and crossing low.

But despite Danny Johnson's best attempts to finish, Ellis was there to clear in front of the line.

Isaac Hutchinson then headed a free-kick narrowly wide as Walsall tried to respond.

Carlisle were then denied strong penalty claims as they attacked in the 39th minute, Charters feeding Dennis and Edmondson going down as he met the low cross - but ref Scott Oldham unmoved.

Mellish returned to defence late in the half and picked up a booking for a foul as Walsall sped forward, but United reached half-time with their lead intact.

Home boss Flynn made two changes at the break, bringing on Taylor Allen and Jack Earing, as Mellish remained in defence with United keen to hold their lead.

Dennis was denied from outside the box early in the half but from there it was a case of United defending deeply as Walsall saw plenty of the ball and looked to regain the initiative.

Holy saved sharply from Hutchinson before Flynn made another change, James-Taylor coming on, and Jack Stretton replacing Dennis for the Blues.

Walsall were denied a penalty when ref Oldham deemed an Ellis challenge on Gordon fair amid a spell of Saddlers dominance.

A Manny Monthe cross went unrewarded and Hutchinson then drove the ball across the six-yard box to no avail.

Carlisle were entirely on the defensive as the second half went on, Simpson sending on Jayden Harris to try and shore things up in midfield and Williams replacing Gordon for the hosts.

United then suffered an injury at the back as Whelan was hurt when colliding with Holy as the keeper came out of his box to make a clearance.

The defender tried to continue but had to be replaced as Barclay came on for his first appearance since August.

Simpson also brought Tobi Sho-Silva on for the closing stages, and United had to throw themelves in the way of Johnson and Monthe shots as Walsall piled it on.

And Carlisle finally cracked three minutes from time.

The home leveller was a calamity for Holy as, after Monthe sent the ball forward, the keeper came out of his box to deal with it but misjudged things completely.

As the ball went past him, sub Williams was there for Walsall and he had a free run into an empty net.

Walsall's tails were now up, Johnson denied by a block before, in added time, Hutchinson dropped to receive the ball before slotting James-Taylor through to slot past Holy.

Carlisle's last-ditch efforts were to no avail - while the post-match scenes may come in for scrutiny as a host of players clashed in angry scenes before order was eventually restored.

Walsall: Evans, White, Daniels, Monthe, Gordon (Williams 72), Comley (Allen 46), Kinsella (Cashman 76), Hutchinson, Knowles (James-Taylor 59), Maddox (Earing 46), Johnson. Not used: Barrett, Wilkinson, McEntee.

Goals: Williams 87, James-Taylor 90.

United: Holy, Whelan (Barclay 82), Huntington, Mellish, Ellis, Armer, Moxon, Charters, Gibson (Harris 76), Edmondson (Sho-Silva 82), Dennis (Stretton 63). Not used: Kelly, Hilton, Devitt, Idehen.

Goal: Edmondson 29.

Booked: Mellish, Armer.

Ref: Scott Oldham.

Crowd: 3,499 (418 Carlisle fans).