Rose injury-time error hands Walsall point against Sutton United

Sutton goalkeeper Jack Rose endured a nightmare return to old club Walsall as his injury-time howler hindered the Yellows’ play-off push by gifting the Saddlers a 1-1 draw.

Rose fumbled Tom Knowles’ straightforward free-kick in the fifth minute of time added on and Isaac Hutchinson swept home to cancel out Alistair Smith’s first-half opener.

The draw leaves Sutton six points adrift of the top seven with seven games remaining.

Both sides had early chances as Walsall keeper Owen Evans made a smart early save to foil David Ajiboye before Rose denied Conor Wilkinson with his legs from a tight angle at the other end.

A flying Evans thwarted Craig Eastmond’s 20-yarder but Sutton led on 31 minutes as Smith acrobatically hooked home Will Randall’s deep corner from close range.

Joss Labadie, making his first home appearance in a year after a serious knee injury, could have levelled for Walsall but fired wide from Jamille Matt’s knockdown.

But Sutton failed to heed the warning as Rose’s error handed Walsall their 10th draw in 14 games.