A young Walsall XI made the trip to the Romans' Hillsfield ground on Tuesday evening where they faced Rocester in the Second Round of this season's Walsall Senior Cup competition.
Naming an inexperienced side, which included first-year pro's Ronan Maher and Jonas Mukuna, Walsall's youngsters were looking to get enter a positive performance as they hoped to both catch the eye and build some momentum after struggling in their recent EFL Youth Alliance outings.
The match got off to a fairly slow start with both sides seeking to take control of midfield, though the Saddlers were eventually able to put themselves into the lead as Welsh youth international Jack Shaw put the ball beyond Rochester stopper Charlie Wood with twenty-six minutes played.
The second goal of the game also went Walsall's way as Timmy Abraham tapped the ball home from close range, Timmy looking to get some match minutes after missing the last few games through injury.
Walsall's third goal arrived a few minutes before the break as defender Noel Angafor got on the end of a well-placed Ronan Maher corner, the second-year scholar giving his side a comfortable lead with a powerful header.
The Saddlers wasted no time in adding another to their tally in the second forty-five as they were awarded a penalty with just a minute played, summer signing Abraham was only too happy to oblige from the spot as he bagged his second of the evening to set his side on course for the Quarter Final stage.
The fifth and final goal of the game arrived in the last minute of normal time as Liam Gordon slotted home, the recent injury returnee and his team enjoying a successful evening in the Walsall Senior Cup.
FULL-TIME SCORE
ROCESTER | 0-5 | WALSALL |
SHAW (26') ABRAHAM (39') ANGAFOR (42') ABRAHAM [P] (47') GORDON (90') |
|
AT | HILLSFIELD |
REFEREE | Justice Abaka-Jacobs |