Walsall were back in action on Tuesday evening as they made the trip to Ewood Park and took on Championship side Blackburn Rovers in Round One of the 2023/24 Carabao Cup.
The home side enjoyed much of the ball for much of the opening stages of the game, but it was Walsall who would take the lead as Oisin McEntee opened his account for the season with a header from a corner ball.
Sadly for the Saddlers, their lead lasted just two minutes as Blackburn got themselves on level terms with Zak Gilsenan netted on his full debut, no doubt a proud occasion for him and his family, though not so much for the faithful in attendance.
Parity didn't last long, however, as on-loan Motherwell midfielder Ross Tierney, who was making his Walsall debut, completed a lovely attacking play, which saw Donervon Daniels and Joe Foulkes combine, to put the Saddlers back into the lead.
Unfortunately, Walsall were once again unable to hold onto their lead as Niall Ennis popped the ball into the back of the net after being found in acres of space by Ryan Hedges.
Blackburn went into the lead for the first time five minutes into the second-half as Jake Garrett turned and slotted the ball beyond Jackson Smith and into the back of the Walsall net.
Rovers added to their lead with sixty-seven minutes on the clock as John Buckley capped off a flowing attack by slamming the ball home, a disappointing goal for the Saddlers as their hopes of remaining in the competition looked to be fading.
The game wasn't all over, however, as second-half substitute Ronan Maher did what he does best and got his side back to within a goal of being level with an admittedly deflected effort that looped over the 'keeper.
CARABAO CUP - ROUND ONE (NORTH)
| BLACKBURN ROVERS | 4-3 | WALSALL |
| GILSENAN (21') ENNIS (40') GARRETT (50') BUCKLEY (67') |
GOALSCORERS |
McENTEE (19') TIERNEY (37') MAHER (84') |
| HEDGES (21') HEDGES (40') BUCKLEY (50') GILSENAN (67') |
ASSISTS |
TIERNEY (19') FOULKES (37') OTEH (84') |
| 74 | POSS (%) | 26 |
| 13 | SHOTS (TOTAL) | 13 |
| 7 | SHOTS (ON TARGET) | 2 |
| 5 | CORNERS | 6 |
| 11 | FOULS | 7 |
| 0 | YELLOW CARDS | 1 |
| 0 | RED CARDS | 0 |
| AT | EWOOD PARK, BLACKBURN |
| ATTENDANCE | 6,173 (579 WALSALL) |
| REFEREE | BENJAMIN SPEEDIE (MERSEYSIDE) |
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Hilton; Brittain, Barnes (Hyam, 58'), S.Wharton, Batty (Pickering, 58'), A.Wharton (Tronstad, 88'), Buckley, Garrett, Hedges, Gilsenan (Markanday, 88'), Ennis (Leonard, 70')
Unused: Eastham, Gamble, Edmondson, Bloxham
WALSALL
Smith; McEntee, Daniels, Hussey (Oteh, 68'); Foulkes, Riley (Maher, 77'), Comley, Stirk, Allen; Tierney (Hutchinson, 74'); James-Taylor (Johnson, 68' 🟨)
Unused: Evans; Williams, Gordon, Matt