Telford 1 Walsall 0 - Report and pictures

Despite conceding the lion's share of possesion, a 43rd-minute penalty from Jordan Goddard was enough to settle the game.

Boss Steve Kittrick will be delighted with the result and by the way his players stood up to the test of playing against full-time opposition with the Bucks defence looking sturdy.

Kittrick handed a first start to striker Kaiman Anderson who signed on loan for an indefinite period from Shrewsbury last week.

It was the Saddlers who dominated the early stages with Jordan Cook seeing a curling strike from the edge of the box well saved by James Montgomery inside the opening 10 minutes.

Telford were finding it hard to get on the ball against their League One opponents but they were almost handed the lead moments later when Andy Taylor dallied on the ball.

Under pressure from Dave Hibbert, the defender then under-hit a back-pass with keeper Craig MacGillivray just able to nip in and clear as the striker ran in on goal.

AFC Telford United: Montgomery, Reid, Clancy (Brownhill), Grogan, Harrison, O'Callaghan (Flint), Gorman (Lilly), Rea (Green), Goddard (Fletcher), Hibbert, Anderson (Lewis).

Before kick-off Walsall fans announced there would be rounds of applause in the 19th, 49th and 78th minutes in memory of Joel Richards, Adrian Evans and Patrick Evans – the three Saddlers fans killed in the Tunisia terrorist attacks.

And after the first of those, the Saddlers started to regain control with Anthony Forde forcing Montgomery into a sprawling one-handed save with a curling strike from the edge of the box.

From the resultant corner, skipper Adam Chambers saw a half-volley deflected just wide.

The momentum was now firmly back with the Saddlers and they again went close to breaking the deadlock when the lively Romaine Sawyers sent in a dangerous low cross from the right.

The ball was met by the onrushing James Baxendale, but the creative schemer scuffed a shot at goal when he should have scored.

But with two minutes of the first half remaining, Telford took the lead against the run of play.

Defender Jason Demetriou was adjudged to have handled the ball from a whipped in Johnny Gorman delivery with the referee pointing to the spot.

Jordan Goddard coolly converted, sending MacGillivray the wrong way for the night's only goal.

Walsall boss Dean Smith made six changes at the break with Rico Henry, Sam Mantom, Milan Lalkovic, Tom Bradshaw and Kieron Morris all introduced.

Andy Taylor, Liam Kinsella, Baxendale, Jordan Cook, Sawyers and Forde were the players to make way.

And the changes almost had an immediate effect with Lalkovic lifting the ball through to Bradshaw who then saw a fierce strike beaten away by Montgomery.

It was the away side who were continuing to control possession and after some head tennis inside the Telford box, James O'Connor saw a half-volley sail wide.

But Telford's defence stood strong to register a morale-boosting victory.