The Saddlers slipped to defeat despite summer signing Elijah Adebayo opening the scoring after just six minutes of play as goals from Josh Clackstone and Morgan Brough saw the Reds safely home to victory.
The Saddlers slipped to defeat despite summer signing Elijah Adebayo opening the scoring after just six minutes of play as goals from Josh Clackstone and Morgan Brough saw the Reds safely home to victory.
But Clarke, who was able to give match minutes to twenty-one players over the ninety minutes, is keen to focus on getting minutes in the tank for the players and was pleased with the early signs of progression from his squad.
Speaking via the club's official website, the manager said; "I was really pleased with the first 45. I knew it was going to be a very difficult second-half. We had three young lads at centre-half and Joe Willis is a right-back.
"I thought they all did well. I was pleased with the first half, we should have had a couple more goals but it’s a workout really for me.
"Pre-season games are about getting minutes into the boys and as each game goes on the fitness levels and the sharpness levels improve.
"We were very organised in the first-half, second-half you are never going to be as organised. We had three trialists playing and three young lads at the back.
"I didn’t want to be making changes all the way through the half, I wanted players to get 45 minutes but there were some pleasing signings for me."