THE SADDLERS have slipped to another disappointing home defeat, this time at the hands AFC Bournemouth.

A curling effort by Simon Osborn from distance landed just wide of the target in the third minute as The Saddlers looked to make a positive start.

A break by James Hayter on the AFC Bournemouth left saw him deliver a low ball in search of strike partner, Steve Fletcher whose effort was wayward.

With 12 minutes on the clock, a foul by Ian Roper just inside the area on Stephen Cooke gave The Cherries a penalty. Leading scorer Hayter stepped up but Oakes guessed the right way to make an important save.

It gave the Walsall faithful a real lift and almost straight away, James Constable went through but fired just wide as he closed in on goal.

The visitors eventually took the lead on 16 minutes when a free-kick was delivered long into the penalty area and some poor marking in front of goal gave Hayter the opportunity to get the slightest of touches on the ball to direct it past Oakes' despairing dive.

A loose ball was picked up by the returning Craig Pead who found Michael Leary and his long-range effort was spilled by Gareth Stewart into the path of Steve Claridge who lifted the ball over from close range.

The Saddlers were almost caught out on the counter-attack with ten minutes to go until the interval as Hayter burst through the middle only to be held up by Pead. As the ball was deflected out to James O'Connor by Osborn's desperate tackle, we managed to get men back to block the shot.

The resulting corner saw Oakes display superb reactions to keep out a firm header from the bustling Fletcher.

In the final minute of the half, a Walsall corner was cleared as far as Osborn whose tame effort from distance was easy for Stewart to gather.

The second period started with a foul by Neil Young on Daniel Fox right on the edge of the area to give The Saddlers a free-kick in a dangerous position which was curled over the wall by Keates but pushed out by Stewart.

Walsall started the half with purpose and another free-kick, following a foul on Constable, saw Osborn lift the ball into the box as the visitors scrambled clear under pressure.

At the other end, a shot on the turn by Steven Foley flashed just wide of the far post as The Saddlers showed spirit but with real clear-cut chances at a premium.

A Keates cross following a corner found the head of Westwood on 77 minutes as the ball was cleared right on the line. There were loud appeals that the ball had crossed the line but the referee waved away the protests.

Claridge was replaced by Demontagnac with ten minutes to go just before Keates was booked for a rather robust challenge.

With time running out, another teasing cross from Keates was met by the head of Leary but the ball flew over.

There was a late change as Mads Timm replaced Osborn but it was too little too late as The Saddlers slumped to another defeat.

PHOTOS: David Linney Photography.