High-flying Walsall have succumbed to their first League One defeat of the season in a 1-0 loss against Bury in their clash at the Banks's Stadium.
The visitors, struggling in the lower reaches of the table, shocked their high-flying opponents when, just six minutes in, Craig Jones found space and smashed the ball into the corner of the net from a very tight angle.
Reece Flanagan countered for Walsall with a long-range drive in the 12th minute, but the effort flashed wide of goal, while Sam Mantom came forward with a thumping drive midway through the half which Rob Lainton parried to his left.
In spite of the Saddlers growing into the game, they still had to be alert against Bury, who were dangerous on the break and saw chances from Danny Mayor and Jones come close.
Romaine Sawyers weighed in with two efforts in the latter stages of the half, but Lainton was equal to both as Walsall were forced to go in at the break a goal down.
Dean Smith's charges began the second half brightly, with Sawyers firing wide and Lainton keeping out a stinging Mantom shot.
On the hour Walsall came within a whisker of equalising when Paul Downing's glancing header from Anthony Forde's corner was cleared off the line by Peter Clarke.
The remaining half-hour saw the Saddlers try desperately to breach their opponents' rearguard, but ultimately the final whistle blew to see them fall to their first league defeat and slip to second in the table.
Giuseppe Labellarte
