SUPER-SUB Saido Berahino's stunning free-kick - his first-ever reserves goal - rescued a point for the Baggies in a topsy-turvy Black Country derby draw with Walsall.

The England Under-17 international scored within six minutes of coming off the bench as he curled home to level the scores in the 70th minute.

Sam Parkin gave the visitors an undeserved lead in the final minute of the first-half but Albion made a quickfire response with goals from Sam Mantom and Chris Wood within three minutes of the restart.

The hosts' lead was short-lived as Alex Nicholls' seven-minute double gave the Saddlers a 3-2 advantage just before the hour-mark.

But Berahino's strike ensured the second-placed Baggies extended their totesport.com Central League Central Division unbeaten run to six games.

A late change saw Ashley Malcolm start in place of Shelton Martis.

The first threat came from the hosts as Reuben Reid latched onto Cameron Gayle's 50-yard ball and centred in the sixth minute.

But Clayton McDonald stretched to get a vital touch and take the ball away from Wood in the six-yard box.

The Baggies should have taken the lead five minutes later when Wood chested down Dwayne Samuels' ball in the box only for Romaine Sawyers to fire wide of the right-hand post when he should at least have hit the target.

The Saddlers came close in the 17th minute when Peter Till's right-wing cross was met by Sam Adkins, who curled a low 15-yard effort just past the right-hand post.

Five minutes later the Baggies broke and Wood just failed to make contact in front of goal from Reid's slide-rule pass.

Albion almost took the lead in freak circumstances in the 28th minute when Mantom burst into the box before seeing Darryl Westlake's attempted clearance rebound off him and fly inches wide of the left-hand post.

Kayleden Brown controlled Mantom's corner at the back post in the 33rd minute and he slipped the ball to Wood, who flicked the ball up and fired an overhead kick just over from 12 yards.

Moments later Wood turned provider for Mantom, whose fierce 20-yard drive was well held by Rene Gilmartin.

Mantom went even closer eight minutes before the break when he flashed a 25-yard free-kick a fraction past the right-hand upright and into the side-netting, with Gilmartin beaten.

Mantom found Wood in a threatening position again in the 38th minute and this time Gilmartin had to dive low to his left to turn the New Zealand striker's raking effort around the post for a corner.

The visitors took a surprise lead in the final minute of the first-half when Till was allowed to chest down the ball on the right-hand edge of the box and find Sam Parkin, who swivelled and fired home low into the far corner of the net from ten yards.

The Baggies were level within a minute of the restart as the impressive Mantom controlled well on the edge of the area and out-muscled Louis Keenan before dinking home past Gilmartin.

Two minutes later a sweeping move by the hosts saw Reid spread the ball out to Mantom on the right and he delivered an inch-perfect cross for Wood to blast home from six yards.

The goals were flowing and Walsall levelled in the 52nd minute when Till slotted Nicholls in on goal and he rounded Dean Kiely before tucking the ball home from a tight angle.

Paul Downing left his back-pass woefully short of Kiely in the 59th minute and allowed Nicholls to race through and slide home for his second of the night to restore the Saddlers' lead.

Michael Appleton made a substitution in the 64th minute when Brown made way for Saido Berahino.

The pacey Berahino was flattened by McDonald and he got to his feet to curl home the resultant 20-yard free-kick into the top right-hand corner of the net in the 70th minute.

A minute later Wood beat the off-side trap from Reid's pass but saw Gilmartin save well at his feet.

Wood broke free again in the 75th minute but Alex Hickman recovered from his initial mistake to make a vital interception.

The Baggies piled on the pressure towards the end and Berahino was only denied a second goal in the 80th minute when Gilmartin pulled off a stunning save by tipping his volley over.

ALBION (4-1-2-1-2): Kiely, Samuels, Downing, Malcolm (Grier 72), Gayle; Thorne; Mantom, Brown (Berahino 64); Sawyers; Wood, Reid. Subs not used: Allsop (gk), Lynch.

WALSALL (4-4-2): Gilmartin, Westlake, Hickman, McDonald, Keenan; Till, Davies, Geddes, Adkins; Parkin (Grigg 73), Nicholls (Paterson 79). Subs not used: Cooney (gk), Partridge, McCourt.

BOOKINGS: None.

GOALS: ALBION - Mantom (46), Wood (48), Berahino (70). WALSALL - Parkin (45), Nicholls (52, 59).

REFEREE: S Burt.

ATTENDANCE: 467.

ALBION STARMAN: Sam Mantom.

PIC: SUPER-SUB...Berahino runs the Saddlers' defence ragged

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