Walsall find away form to frustrate Norwich

Walsall turned the formbook upside down to secure an unlikely 1-1 draw at high-flying Norwich, who stay fourth in the Fourth Division.

The result of a match between the side with the best home record in the division and the side with the worst away record looked to be a foregone conclusion, especially when the Canaries took the lead after 12 minutes with David Nielsen's fifth goal in five games.

Norwich made the breakthrough they had been threatening when Paul McVeigh's cross to Mark Rivers was blocked by a Walsall defender, but, as the ball bobbled around in the six-yard box, Nielsen, on loan from Wimbledon, nipped in to stab home. The visitors played some delightful football after their early setback and deserved the point that was handed to them by the 56th-minute goal from the defender Steve Tillson.

Millwall underlined their promotion potential by moving up to fifth place with an emphatic 4-1 victory at Vicarage Road to hand Watford their first league defeat in eight games.

Tim Cahill met Steven Reid's cross with a firm header after 31 minutes to give the visitors the lead. Richard Sadlier hit his 14th of the season 13 minutes into the second half when he picked up a loose ball, resisted a couple of challenges and fired home.

After 68 minutes Stephen Reid ran clear before driving the ball low between Alec Chamberlain's legs. Heidar Helguson gave the Hornets some hope when he drove the ball in low from 12 yards but it was snuffed out when Neil Harris scored his first goal since returning from testicular cancer.

Stockport equalled a club record of nine successive defeats when they crashed 4-0 at West Bromwich to stay firmly anchored at the bottom of the table. The County manager Carlton Palmer said: "I have got 15 players that need to be shipped out. I've got players here on good money who don't give a toss about the club."

Grimsby earned a deserved point from the goalless draw at Barnsley to extend their good start to life under Paul Groves. The Mariners, who beat Portsmouth at the weekend in Groves' first match as player-manager following the sacking of Lennie Lawrence on Friday, frustrated the home side throughout the game to land a much-needed point.

Stoke took advantage of postponements to go top of the Second Division. The Belarussian Sergei Shtanyuk put them in front against Blackpool and James O'Connor's late goal sealed a 2-0 success.

Reading moved into fourth with a 2-0 home win over Port Vale, Jamie Cureton scoring from the spot in the 83rd minute and doubling his tally a minute from the whistle.

In the Third Division the only game to survive was at Torquay, where Cheltenham extended their unbeaten run to five matches. Lee Williams netted in the 58th minute to leave the struggling Devonians without a win in eight games.