Earlier this afternoon, Walsall Football Club's Reserves side travelled a short distance North as they took on Port Vale Reserves in the latest Final Third Development League (West) fixture of the season.
The Saddlers hadn't played a Reserve fixture since their victory over Burton Albion last month, but went into the game on top of the league having won three of their opening five league games, drawing one and losing the other.
Opponents Port Vale sat seventh, out of eight, and had won just one of their opening four games, drawing two, and losing the other. The Valiants' most recent match was a two-all draw with Shrewsbury Town reserves last week.
WALSALL XI | MacGillivray, Vann, Smith, Kinsella, Preston, K.Rowley, L.Rowley, Baxendale, Flanagan, Bakayoko, Murphy.
It was the hosts that opened the scoring in today's match as JJ Hooper diverted Aziz Deen-Conteh's cross into the bottom corner of the goal, with twenty-three minutes on the clock.
Walsall Levelled the score after thirty-eight minutes as Reece Flanagan scored a sublime goal from some way out, the midfielder continuing his fine form for the Development side.
THE TEAMS
PORT VALE XI | Boot, White, Deen-Conteh, Steele, Faulkner, Attrell, Haughton, Brown, Ikpeazu, Hooper, Daniel.
Subs: Pickering, Kapend, Gibson, Morris, Ede.
WALSALL XI | MacGillivray, Vann, Smith, Kinsella, Preston, K.Rowley, L.Rowley, Baxendale, Flanagan, Bakayoko, Murphy.
Subs: Caswell, Cela, Maddocks
It was the hosts that opened the scoring in today's match as JJ Hooper diverted Aziz Deen-Conteh's cross into the bottom corner of the goal, with twenty-three minutes on the clock.
Walsall Levelled the score after thirty-eight minutes as Reece Flanagan scored a sublime goal from some way out, the midfielder continuing his fine form for the Development side.
FINAL THIRD DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE (WEST) - RESULT
PORT VALE 1 WALSALL 1
GOALS | Hooper (23') -- Flanagan (38')