This was a result that saw Walsall move above their Derbyshire opponents into fourth in Regional 2 Midlands North.
It would, however, be a game that both teams will rue the missed scoring opportunities. The opening ten minutes saw the visitors launch several attacks on the Walsall line. But credit has to be given on some superb defending by the Walsall players. Gradually the hosts began to put together some sustained periods of pressure. This resulted in the first score of the game, late in the first quarter. Good ball carries by Callum Hoy and Adam Nunney resulted in the ball being passed wide with full back, Conor Rowe, breaking through the Melbourne defence for a try near the corner flag. The hosts were looking to add to their tally five minutes later, but a pass was intercepted and a kick ahead was gathered, and touched down, by winger Miller-Pickering with Cresswell adding the conversion. It was late in the first half when the next score came. It was a superb solo effort by Walsall’s lock forward Callum Hoy. He caught the ball from a Melbourne twenty metre drop out. He then set off on a fifty-metre run that saw him break through tackles and outpace the defence for a try near the goalposts which Nunney converted. Incredibly that would prove to be the only score until the final minutes of the game.
The hosts should have added to their tally on several occasions, especially during the periods when they had numerical superiority because two of their opponents had been shown yellow cards during the final quarter. Indeed, it was only strong Walsall defence that denied the visitors a score on two occasions. The hosts showed plenty of admirable individual skills but failed to retain possession at crucial times. But their concerns were eased in the final minutes of the game as outside half Ben Pitt fielded a clearance kick and then produced an excellent thirty metre drop goal to secure the league points for Walsall.