TWO-GOAL Ricky Nicholls' last-gasp strike pinched the points for Baggies reserves in a 4-3 thriller with derby rivals Walsall.

Troy Deeney opened the scoring for the Saddlers in the eighth minute in this Pontin's Holidays League Division One (Central) clash at The Hawthorns.

Sherjill MacDonald levelled on his comeback from more than three weeks on the sidelines following knee surgery.

Nicholls then put the hosts ahead in the 29^th minute only for namesake Alex Nicholls to make it all square again four minutes later.

Lateef Elford-Alliyu restored Albion's lead in the 71st minute before Ishmael Demontagnac levelled this topsey-turvy encounter for a third time two minutes later.

But Ricky Nichols snatched victory for Craig Shakespeare's men thanks to an 89th-minute strike.

Gary Breen fed MacDonald inside the box in the sixth minute and he turned and forced a save from Rene Gilmartin with a low shot.

But just two minutes later Deeney pounced on a rebound off James Hancox and fired home from six yards.

Alex Nicholls latched onto a throw-in in the tenth minute and surprised everyone with an acute shot that had Gavin Carlin scrambling to turn it around at the near post.

Breen's ball found its way to Ricky Nicholls in the 21^st minute and he slotted MacDonald through to slide the ball home to Gilmartin's right and level.

The Baggies took the lead eight minutes later when Elford-Alliyu beat Tom Schwarz to the ball to flick it on to Ricky Nicholls, who had his back to goal but managed to swivel and hit a volleyed lob over Gilmartin into the far corner of the net.

MacDonald found Joss Labadie down the left in the 31^st minute and he forced Gilmartin to save with his legs before Ricky Nicholls fired the rebound straight at the Saddlers goalkeeper.

Two minutes later Alex Nicholls raced through on goal for the visitors and beat Carlin low down to equalise.

Labadie found Worrall on the edge of the area in the 34^th minute and he held off Charlton Davies, who ultimately blocked the Baggies midfielder's shot.

Deeney broke down the right in the 44^th minute and squared into the box for Stefan Moore, who shot wide of the left-hand post under pressure.

But Walsall found time for another effort on goal in the first minute of stoppage time when good inter-play between Mark Bradley and Moore saw the ball reach Deeney, who fired over from 15 yards.

Demontagnac found David McDermott on the egde of the area in the 57^th minute and he teed up Deeney, whose strike clipped off substitute Matthew Pike onto the bar and over.

In the 61^st minute MacDonald raced onto Josh Knight's pass and fired in a shot from the edge of the box that Gilmartin palmed away.

Ten minutes later Ricky Nicholls played in MacDonald down the right and the Dutch pace ace flashed in a cross-cum-shot, which Knight flicked towards goal and Elford-Alliyu tucked home at the back post to make it 3-2.

The Baggies' lead lasted only two minutes though as Demontagnac ran at the hosts' defence.

Breen made a sliding challenge and Carlin and Worrall joined in a scramble that resulted in Demontagnac chipping the ball in over Hancox's head to square the match again.

Ricky Nicholls' ball over the top in the 75^th minute found Knight, whose effort on goal sailed over the bar.

But in the 89^th minute good work by Stefan Morrison down the right saw him feed fellow sub Sebastien Lake-Gaskin.

He in turn found Ricky Nicholls, who sealed all three points for Albion with an 18-yard chip into the far corner of the net.

ALBION (4-4-2): Carlin; Hodgkiss (Pike HT), Breen, Labadie, Saied (S Morrison 65); R Nicholls, Hancox, Worrall, MacDonald; Knight, Elford-Alliyu (Lake-Gaskin 79). Subs not used: Sawyers, Samuels.

WALSALL (4-4-2): Gilmartin; Bradley, Brown, Schwarz, Sansara; Demontagnac, Davies, McDermott, A Nicholls; Deeney, Moore. Subs not used: Harris, Cox, Hanna, Westlake, Jones.

REFEREE: W Barratt.

ATTENDANCE: 204.

ALBION STARMAN: Ricky Nicholls.