Walsall Under-18s returned to action on Tuesday afternoon they took on Blackpool in their latest EFL Youth Alliance outing of the 2023/24 campaign.Sitting at the foot of the table, the Saddlers went into the match on the back of a narrow 2-1 defeat to Morecambe, the result seeing them go winless in four games, with their last triumph coming against Port Vale in mid March.
With this being one of the youngsters' final five games of the season, the pressure was one of they were to get back on track and end the campaign in good form ahead of a likely busy summer at the academy.
WALSALL TEAM
Kilroy; Bennett, Roberts, Chakki, Pawlowski, Wilkes, Beckford, Preece, Wragg, Makavore, Leydon
Substitutes: Barber; Harris, Oben, Webb, Teesdale
BLACKPOOL TEAM
Trialist; McVeigh, Cox, Opawole, Oliver, Norris, Bondo, Ahmed, Scholes, Jones, Miles
Substitutes: Hassan
Substitutes: Hassan
It was Blackpool that got the game underway, and they took an almost immediate lead when Lennon Scholes was on hand to head the ball home from a well-directed Charlie Cox delivery. A terrible start for Walsall.
The visitors continued to press for goals and saw a couple of efforts drift wide of Jenson Kilroy's goal, with Jaden Jones and Josh Miles both going close to adding to the Seasiders' early lead.
The first real save of the game saw Kilroy thwart Cox, with the adventurous defender looking to add to his earlier assist, though was denied at the near post by an alert 'keeper.
Blackpool doubled their lead with thirty minutes on the clock as Terry Bondo was alert to a loose ball after Jaden Jonessaw an effort saved, Kilroy unable to stop the tap0in from going over the line.
Walsall didn't allow their heads to drop and struck back immediately as Charlie Wragg sent a powerful effort past the visitor's trialist goalkeeper into the back of the net from the edge of the area. The perfect response from the young Reds.
Looking to get themselves back on level terms, Walsall opted to make a change at the break with Louie Webb taking the place of Jackson Preece
It took a little while for the second half to settle down, but it was the visitors who saw the first opening of the half as Miles forced Kilroy into a strong save following Conor McVeigh's neat cross to the back post.
Jaden Jones also had an opportunity to add to his side's lead but was unable to control the flight of his effort as the ball flew over the crossbar.
Walsall's desire to get back on level terms saw them make another change just after the match had reached the hour mark as McLoyd Oben took the place of Linton Chakki.
The visitors almost added to their lead via the game's opening scorer as Scholes saw an effort hit the top of Kilroy's crossbar following Miles' pass. A bit too much space at the back as Blackpool looked to boost their advantage.
The Saddlers once again looked at their bench as Ellis Harris took the place of Kobe Wilkes with twenty minutes of the contest remaining.
Substitutions continued to impact the flow of the contest as both sides made changes; Danai Hassan replacing Terry Bondo for the visitors before Walsall goalscorer Charlie Wragg made way for Finn Teesdale.
Jos Miles continued to test the Walsall backline with his latest effort curling just past the post as the visitors looked the most likely to score the game's fourth goal with time continuing to tick away.
There were no further goals in a game of few chances for the young Saddlers as they enter the final few weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.
| WRAGG (31') |
SCHOLES (2') BONDO (30') |
| AT | RAY HALL LANE |