FA Cup: Leitao gives Walsall a win

Charlton 1, Walsall 2 (full-time)

Jorge Leitao gave manager Colin Lee a dream start to his managerial career at Walsall with a double strike to earn an FA Cup fourth-round victory at The Valley.

Lee only took over from Ray Graydon on Thursday, and handed a recall to the out-of-favour Portuguese striker, who repaid him with two well-taken strikes.

Graham Stuart ensured a frenetic finale with a late goal for the Premiership outfit, but was made to rue a second-half penalty which was well-saved by the outstanding James Walker in the Walsall goal.

The First Division strugglers came out with all guns blazing and Matt Carbon could have given them a shock lead in the first minute of the game.

The visitors forced a corner off Steve Brown, which Pedro Matias swung in and Darren Wrack turned on to the unmarked Carbon, but his shot was weak.

But Walsall did not have long to wait before they went in front through Leitao, recalled to the starting line-up by Lee.

Leitao robbed Chris Bart-Williams in midfield with four minutes gone and ran from the centre-circle, skipping past a tackle from Jorge Costa to lob stranded goalkeeper Dean Kiely from the edge of the penalty area.

Groundsmen swept 10,000 gallons of water from the pitch prior to kick-off, but the slippery conditions made no difference to Walsall’s slick passing game.

But it took heroics from Walker to keep them in front at half-time.

First he denied Stuart a headed equaliser from Jason Euell’s searching left wing cross with an acrobatic tip over.

And then he saved with his legs from John Robinson after a through-ball from Bart-Williams split the Walsall offside trap.

Pedro Matias had a glorious chance to put Walsall further ahead soon after the restart but Charlton keeper Kiely held his low drive.

And Walsall should have been further in front after Matias broke down the left to centre for Darren Wrack after 56 minutes.

But with an open goal to aim at, Wrack slid in and conspired to put his effort over the bar from four yards.

Leitao soon made amends for that miss two minutes later, storming through a statuesque Charlton defence to round Kiely and slot home the easiest of finishes and silence the home crowd.

But referee Graham Barber handed Charlton a lifeline with a penalty after Wrack tripped John Robinson in the box after 64 minutes.

Up stepped Stuart, whose penalty in the previous round helped Charlton defeat Blackpool, but this time his spot-kick was saved low by the magnificent Walker.

But Stuart, a cup winner with Everton in 1995, made amends by giving Charlton hope after 69 minutes. Walsall failed to clear from a Bart-Williams corner and Stuart threaded his volley through a crowd of bodies into the back of the net.

But Walsall withstood the Charlton onslaught and substitute Dean Keates could have made it three with a 25-yard drive which was parried by Kiely.

And they had to escape a late scare when Euell placed a close-range effort past the post at full-stretch in stoppage time.

Charlton manager Alan Curbishley suffered the ignominy of a second cup exit to lower league opposition after going out to non-league Dagenham and Redbridge last season.

But for Lee, the champagne was on ice.