Bristol Rovers 0 Walsall 1: Clayton Ince was Walsall's hero for the second time in four days as Bristol Rovers slumped to their third defeat in four games.

Ince had kept the Saddlers in the game when the sides fought out a 0-0 draw at the Banks's Stadium on Saturday. And he produced a fine save from Jeff Hughes' penalty 10 minutes from time – and reacted quickly to block Paul Heffernan's follow-up – to ensure the Saddlers recorded their first win in nine matches.

Rovers may have had the better of things in the Black Country, but they were well below their best on their return to home soil and rarely looked like fashioning an equaliser once Richard Taundry had shot Walsall into a first-half lead.

The home side left the field to a chorus of boos from fans after a subdued and disjointed display.

Rovers made only one change from the side that had started on Saturday, but there was a very different look to the side.

Loan signing Heffernan made his debut up front after joining from Doncaster.

With defender Carl Regan ruled out by a dead leg, skipper Stuart Campbell started at right-back. Andy Williams was on the right wing with Mark Wright on the left, allowing the other loanee, Wayne Brown, to start in his preferred central midfield role.

Fulham youngster Brown came close to making an early breakthrough for the home side in the third minute with a well-struck left foot shot from 25 yards which Ince did well to push around a post.

Then Rovers had a good shout for a penalty turned down when Campbell's free-kick struck Matt Richards on the arm inside the box. Strangely, referee Simon Hooper signalled that he thought it had hit the Walsall player on the head.

Though Rovers had done the early pressing, Walsall came into the game more as the first half wore on.

Mikkel Andersen needed to make a good low save from Dwayne Mattis' shot, and then the Pirates had an escape when Troy Deeney glanced a header wide from Peter Till's cross.

But the Saddlers took the lead in the 32nd minute when Rovers were caught out at the back.

Hughes was dispossessed by Alex Nicholls, who advanced into the box and shot. Though his attempt was blocked, it ran loose and Taundry rammed a low shot past Andersen from 12 yards.

The goal silenced the home fans and the damage could have been worse a few minutes later.

Hughes was beaten again – this time by Till down Rovers' left – and the home side were fortunate that Nicholls sent his header from eight yards over the top with only Andersen to beat.

The Pirates, who had gone completely off the boil after a lively start, were forced to make a change shortly before the break with youngster Charlie Reece replacing the injured Brown.

Reece flashed a 25-yarder wide early in the second half as Rovers tried to rediscover some gusto, but were still struggling to find any fluency to their game.

When a good ball from Heffernan did present Williams with a shooting chance on the hour, he could only balloon it horribly high and wide of the target from 25 yards.

Rovers then made their second change, with Ben Swallow replacing Wright, who had not managed to reproduce the good display he had put in against his former club a few days earlier.

But the Pirates' passing game was well below standard and Ince had been largely untroubled for most of a game that was threatening to peter out. The keeper was well positioned to snaffle up an angled shot from Williams.

Rovers looked to have been handed a lifeline 10 minutes from time, when Jamie Vincent was penalised for a challenge which sent Jo Kuffour sprawling inside the box.

But Hughes' miserable night was completed when Ince dived to his right to save the spot-kick – and the keeper made a fine double stop by beating out Heffernan's attempt from the rebound.

Keeper Andersen advanced upfield trying to support his attack in the dying minutes – and headed wide from a corner.

But not even the presence of the big Dane could help to spark a comeback on a night to forget for Paul Trollope's men.