Yusuf Akhamrich fires struggling Bristol Rovers to vital victory over Walsall

In-form Tottenham loanee Yusuf Akhamrich set lowly Bristol Rovers on course for a comfortable 2-0 victory over promotion-chasing Walsall at the Memorial Stadium.

The attacking midfielder underlined his potential when he broke the deadlock in the 61st minute with third goal in two games as he applied the coolest of left-footed finishes after being played in by Shaq Forde.

That stunned Walsall and the advantage was doubled three minutes later in spectacular fashion when defender Kofi Balmer, on loan from Motherwell, volleyed in his first Gas goal when the visiting defenders were unable to clear their lines following a free-kick.

There was to be no stopping Steve Evans’ spirited Rovers side as they moved towards back-to-back wins for the first time since September and a dominant performance will have eased their relegation fears as a seven-point gap opened up over second-bottom Newport.

Mat Sadler’s seventh-placed Walsall lacked spark and struggled to get going in attack as their winless run was extended to four games. The visitors would have had no cause for complaint at the outcome as goalkeeper Myles Roberts was called into action three times to deny Forde twice and Jack Sparke before Akhamrich put Rovers in command.