Connor Barrett was the coolest man in the chaos as 10-man Walsall stole a 2-1 victory over Swindon in added time of this tense League Two opener.
The wing-back took a square ball, stepped through the crowd and calmly planted past exposed goalkeeper Connor Ripley to settle a game in which the Saddlers had spent most of the time camped on the edge of their own box.
Evan Weir’s thunderous free-kick fired the Saddlers in front in the seventh minute, smashing high inside the near post after Aaron Pressley had been dragged back on the run.
Swindon had the lion’s share of the play and that turned into sheer dominance after Brandon Comley’s 21st-minute red card for hauling down Aaron Drinan as he burst through on goal.
Drinan glanced over Town’s best chance of the half five minutes before the break but continued pressure told in the 79th minute.
Rico Browne was judged to have pulled down Harry Smith at the far post with Will Wright squeezing the penalty into the bottom left corner despite Myles Roberts very nearly getting there.
But as things got increasingly frenetic, Walsall picked their moments with Barrett the hero in the first minute of added time.
