Walsall 2 Gillingham 0: Report from League 2 match at the Bescot Stadium with goals from Isaac Hutchinson and Conor Wilkinson

A wicked deflection proved costly for Gillingham on Saturday as they left Walsall empty-handed.

Isaac Hutchinson had luck on his side as a deflected effort put the hosts infront early in the second half and former Gills man Conor Wilkinson added a second in stoppage-time.

Aiden O’Brien replaced Alex MacDonald in the starting eleven as the Gills looked to maintain their safety push against a side without a win in 12 League 2 fixtures.

Michael Flynn - the Walsall manager - and Neil Harris were once team-mates at Priestfield and they were locking horns in a battle at the bottom end of the division.

Promotion hopes for the home side were derailed by the loss of their loan striker Danny Johnson in January, while for the Gills it’s been an upward surge since the turn of the year following their recruiting spree.

Walsall looked determined to end their poor run of form early on but Gills keeper Glenn Morris tipped over an early header from Hutchinson and later in the half made an even better reflex stop to turn Andy Williams’ close-range effort over the bar.

Morris also clung onto a shot from Brandon Comley while the home side wasted a number of set-piece opportunities - Joe Riley putting successive corner kicks straight out of play to the frustration of the home fans.

There weren’t too many clear-cut chances for the Gills as Tom Nichols headed one cross over and came close to sliding in on Tim Dieng’s low ball into the box.

The home side took a 50th minute lead thanks to a massive deflection off the unfortunate Max Ehmer. Tom Knowles had sent Hutchinson away down the home side’s left side and when he cut in, the shot hit the Gills defender, wrong-footing Glenn Morris and nestling into the bottom corner.

O’Brien went close for