The Saddlers made the trip to the ARMCO Arena to take on National League side Solihull Moors in their final pre-season outing ahead of the 20212/23 campaign.
Walsall got the match underway, but it was Solihull Moors who enjoyed the brighter opening spell, as the hosts won a free-kick in a dangerous position just three minutes in, which was played onto the head of Callum Howe at the back post, but Saddlers shot-stopper, Owen Evans was alert to the danger and gathered well..
Solihull continued to seek an early goal, and were a little unlucky to see Evans deny them again in the seventh minute, as some lovely build up play saw the ball eventually fall to Callum Maycock just outside the area, with the 'keeper forced to get down quickly to make the save.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle as it continued, with both sides seeing plenty of the ball, without causing too much concern to their opposition defences.
Walsall created their first real chance of the afternoon in the seventeenth minute, as a lovely cross from Hayden White met Isaac Hutchinson inside the area, but with a touch too much height on the cross, the midfielder struggled to direct his headed effort, sending the ball wide.
The home side had soon worked the ball back up to the other end, where Trialist B saw a deflected effort tipped over the bar by an alert Evans.
Recent arrival, Danny Johnson found himself in position to open the scoring as the ball fell to him just inside the area in the twenty-eighth minute, but his effort was easily saved by Moors 'keeper, Louie Moulden.
The game settled again following that chance, but ten minutes later, Walsall debutant, Johnson had more luck in front of goal as he connected with a cross from Taylor Allen and prodded home to open the scoring.
HALF-TIME SCORE
| SOLIHULL MOORS | 0-1 | WALSALL |
Solihull opted to make a triple change as the sides returned, with Callum Howe, James Clarke and Joey Jones all sitting out the second-half, as Jamey Osborne, Ryan Barnett and Josh Kelly took their places.
Six minutes into the second-half, Walsall looked likely to double their advantage, as Hutchinson picked up the ball twenty-five yards from goal, but his effort sailed narrowly wide of the upright.
The Saddlers went close again in the fifty-seventh minute, as Hutchinson played in Johnson, but the strikers effort on goal sailed narrowly wide of the target.
With sixty-three minutes on the clock, Walsall opted to make a raft of changes to their line-up, with Owen Evans, Hayden White, Manny Monthe, Issac Hutchinson and Danny Johnson making way as their places were filled by Adam Przybek, Flynn Clarke, Liam Bennett, Ronan Maher and Douglas James-Taylor.
Moments after the changes were completed, Solihull went close to levelling the scores, as Alex Reid headed goal-wards, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
With seventy-four minutes on the clock, Walsall doubled their advantage, as Andy Williams was played through on goal and coolly slotted the ball past Moulden.
That would be the final action of note for Andy Williams, as the Saddlers chose to make another change in the seventy-fifth minute, replacing the striker, with trialist, Jonas Mukuna for the final fifteen minutes.
Ten minutes from time, the home side were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position, which was swung into the box by Osborne, but Reid, who was waiting to meet the cross at the back post, was unable to beat Przybek.
Having used all of their available substitutions, Walsall were forced to finish the game with ten men, as Taylor Allen was forced to depart early after picking up a knock in the eighty-first minute.
Solihull went close to pulling a goal back in the eighty-fourth minute, as Osborne fired an effort goal-wards from the edge of the area, but some good positioning from Bennett deflected the ball out of play for a corner, which ultimately came to nothing.
The home side continued to press, going close again two minutes from time, as the ball fell to Reid, whose headed effort from close range collided with the crossbar.
There was little further action of note and the game was brought to it's conclusion with the Saddlers winning by two-goals-to-nil.
FULL-TIME SCORE
| SOLIHULL MOORS | 0-2 | WALSALL |
| JOHNSON (38') WILLIAMS (74') |
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| AT | ARMCO ARENA |