SWINDON Town were forced to settle for what could prove to be a valuable point in their relegation battle as they were pegged back to draw 1-1 with Walsall.

Michael Doughty’s strike in the 59th minute stunned those at the Bescot Stadium, who thought they were going to watch their side stroll into the automatic promotion picture.

However, Kieron Morris came off the bench and had an immediate impact as he dragged the hosts back level with 19 minutes remaining.

Swindon made one change to the side that lost at home to Bury at the weekend, with Yaser Kasim coming into the starting XI for the first time since Town’s goalless draw with Gillingham at the beginning of February.

Ellis Iandolo dropped to the bench as a result and was joined by the addition of Anton Rodgers and Jordan Young, with no place in the matchday squad for Fabien Robert.

Meanwhile, the Saddlers kept the same side that beat Southend 1-0, with top goal scorer Tom Bradshaw remaining on the bench.

Walsall, who knew a win would lift them into the automatic places in League One, went on the attack early and Milan Lalkovic had a golden opportunity to open the scoring after just a minute when Anthony Forde found him unmarked in the box with a ball in from the right but the winger’s glancing header went narrowly wide of the post.

Town had to wait until the 22nd minute to have their first real sight of goal when Jonathan Obika held the ball up on the edge of the box before Nicky Ajose took over and tried his luck on the turn, dragging his effort just wide of the up right.

Ajose, who was proving an annoyance for the Walsall defence all half, had the chance to break the deadlock two minutes before half time when Doughty’s cross from the right was not cleared by the first man, but Ajose was unable to steer his effort on target.

Town took the lead in the 59th minute when Raphael Branco drove forward and found Obika on the edge of the box with his back to goal.

The big forward held off his man before turning and getting his shot off – an effort that was well off target before it struck the back of Paul Downing and fell kindly into the path of Doughty, who slid the ball under the body of Etheridge.

Walsall responded immediately by increasing the tempo of the affair and it almost paid dividends in the 67th minute when Forde tried his luck from distance, only to be denied by the outside of the post.

In the 71st minute, substitute Morris skipped past a challenge down the right to beat his man before unleashing a shot that nestled neatly into the far corner past an outstretched Kean in the Swindon goal.

A big chance fell to Obika to steal the three points at the death when Kasim played a deft ball over the top of the Walsall defence but Romaine Sawyers tracked back well to slide in and deny the Town forward at the last minute.

Swindon Town (3-5-2): Kean; Branco, N Thompson, Turnbull; Barry, L Thompson, Kasim, Doughty, Brophy; Obika, Ajose.

Unused subs: Henry, Sendles-White, Rodgers, Iandolo, Young, Cooke, Hylton.

Referee: Nick Kinseley

Attendance: 5,095 (297)