Walsall 3 Wycombe 2
It qualifies as a nicety rather than a necessity but Walsall's neat extraction of Wycombe Wanderers from the LDV Vans Trophy maintained the recent progress made by Paul Merson's men.
The 3-2 victory was their seventh home win in succession - they have not been beaten at Bescot Stadium for three months - and earned them a place in the Southern section semi-finals and a step closer to a showpiece final at the Millennium Stadium.
First-half goals from James Constable, in his first start for the club and Julian Bennett suggested the hosts would enjoy a serene passage into the next round but an 82nd-minute goal from Charlie Griffin, his second of the match, made extra time a real possibility.
That was only for five minutes, though, as Walsall stepped up a gear and set Jorge Leitao free in the Wycombe box to lash his side deeper into this bauble of a competition. It was an anxious end to a match they had controlled for long spells.
However, Merson was not happy that his side failed to sustain their fluid attacking football and allowed lower-ranked opponents back into the match.
"I am pleased to win, but if we play like that in the second half against a team in our league, we will be in trouble," he snapped.
"We were very sloppy, even though we could have had two or three more goals. We had the game won but let them back into it."
They were given a warning in the third minute when Anthony Gerrard unnecessarily conceded a corner in trying to deal with an aimless lump forward into his box.
Clint Easton fired in the set-piece towards the near post where it was met in unbroken stride by Mike Williamson, whose header grazed Joe Murphy's bar.
Seconds later, the hosts were behind. A gaggle of Walsall players failed to deal with a loose ball 30 yards from their goal and allowed Wycombe to play it wide to the left flank.
Kevin Betsy rolled it across the edge of the area where Charlie Griffin gave Murphy no chance and swept home with his first touch.
Strangely, it was no more than the visitors deserved.
Fifteen minutes later, they equalised as captain for the night Craig Pead scuffed a free-kick from the halfway line to the edge of the Wanderers area.
Instead of dispatching it unceremoniously into row Z, Roger Johnson allowed the ball to go under his studs and sit up invitingly for Constable. The burly centre-forward - who enjoyed a decent, if somewhat raw, debut - smashed home with aplomb.
As the period neared its midway point, the hosts made amends for another disappointing set piece.
Kris Taylor - lively and inventive throughout - failed to beat the first defender with his corner but tricked his way to the bye-line with his rebound and hung up a cross in the six-yard box for Julian Bennett to head home.
The second half was largely one-way. Fryatt had two good chances in three minutes but couldn't beat Williams and eventually the game appeared as though it would peter out.
Tommy Mooney, though, had other ideas. The ex-Birmingham and Aston Villa man popped up on the right wing and found his strike partner with a deep cross that Griffin directed downwards and past Murphy.
Walsall were energised once more and when Fryatt latched on to a poor clearance from Williams, it seemed predestined that the winner would come.
The teenage striker rolled into Alex Nicholls' feet who turned it on for Leitao to scoot into the area and hand Wycombe their second defeat in three days. ..SUPL:
