Leeds 1, Walsall 2

Leeds United failed to narrow the gap on leaders Norwich as Chris Hutch-ings’ Walsall became the first side to win a league match at Elland Road since Carlisle in January 2009.

Gary McSheffrey netted a second-half equaliser for Leeds after Dwayne Mattis had given the Saddlers the lead just after the interval, but Clayton McDonald grabbed Walsall’s winner with nine minutes left.

Leeds monopolised early possession without seriously troubling Clayton Ince, the Saddlers’ Trinidad and Tobago international keeper.

Robert Snodgrass and McSheffrey got through plenty of work on the flanks but, from the best opportunity of the first half, Snod-grass and Luciano Becchio got in each other’s way as they tried to get their heads to Shane Lowry’s cross.

Bradley Johnson, once again operating in central midfield, tesed Ince from 20 yards but the keeper showed a safe pair of hands.

Walsall came closest to a first-half goal when Matt Richards’ free-kick just cleared the bar after Neil Kilkenny had brought down McDonald outside the ‘D’.

Walsall began the second half with Mark Bradley in place of Peter Till and the Saddlers were ahead within a minute of the restart.

Julian Gray’s chipped cross was expertly volleyed by former Huddersfield and Barnsley midfielder Mattis past Casper Ankergren, who had been completely untroubled until that point.

Eight minutes later, Leeds were level with a bizarre goal by McSheffrey. Spotting Ince slightly off his line, McSheffrey tried his luck from near the left touchline and Ince misjudged the flight of the ball, which cleared his head at the near post and rippled the net.

The goal breathed new life into Leeds and Ince did well to save Luciano Becchio’s downward header from McSheffrey’s free-kick.

But Walsall stunned the home crowd by regaining the lead. Leeds failed to clear a corner from the left and McDonald bundled the ball goalwards, a linesman indicating that it had crossed the line before being cleared.