After opening their Southern Group C campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to West Ham United Under-21s, Michael Flynn's Saddlers were looking to get their first points of the campaign as they took on Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road.
Walsall started the game brightly and even saw a penalty claim wrongfully waved away after Jack Earing was felled inside the area, however, they were soon on the wrong end of the opening goal as on-loan Southampton attacker Dan Nlundulu put the ball beyond Owen Evans and into the back of the net.
The Saddlers were two behind just five minutes later as Liam Sercombe doubled his side's lead as Walsall were punished for their lack of cutting edge in the final third as the home side began to look comfortable.
Walsall were ultimately able to get among the goals as second-half substitute Danny Johnson put the ball into the back of the net following Jack Earing's fine assist.
PAPA JOHN'S TROPHY
| CHELTENHAM TOWN | 2-1 | WALSALL |
| N'LUNDULU (38') SERCOMBE (43') |
GOALS | JOHNSON (86') |
| 54 | POSS (%) | 46 |
| 12 | SHOTS (TOTAL) | 17 |
| 5 | SHOTS (ON TARGET) | 1 |
| 3 | CORNERS | 6 |
| 15 | FOULS | 8 |
| 3 | YELLOW CARDS | 1 |
| 0 | RED CARDS | 0 |
| AT | WHADDON ROAD |
| ATTENDANCE | 1,275 (158) |
| REFEREE | TOM REEVES (WARWICKSHIRE) |
CHELTENHAM TOWN
MacDonald; Long (C.Taylor, 46'), Raglan (Bradbury, 67'), Freestone; Jackson, Sercombe, Perry 🟨 (Chapman, 85'), Ferry; Broom; May 🟨, N'Lundulu 🟨 (Norton, 60')
Unused: Norton, Lloyd, Barkers, Brown
WALSALL
Evans; White 🟨 (Monthé, 78'), Daniels (Allen, 68'), Clarke, Bennett; Kinsella, Earing, Hutchinson (James-Taylor, 78'), Knowles, Cashman (Gordon, 67'), Williams (Johnson, 78')
Unused: Comley, Abraham