Walsall Under-18s returned to action on Wednesday afternoon as they played host to Wrexham in their latest EFL Youth Alliance outing of the season.The young Saddlers have endured a difficult season in the Alliance, winning just three of their twenty-three games, they'll be keen to reset over the summer break and look to make a better fist of it in 2024/25.
Reaching their meeting with Wrexham on the back of a 5-1 away drubbing to Accrington Stanley, the Reds had plenty to prove as they welcomed the mid-table Dragons to the Birmingham County FA's headquarters on Ray Hall Lane.
WALSALL TEAM
Barrett; Harris, Hearchan, Bennett, Pawlowski, Wilkes, Beckford, Preece, Wragg, Makavore, Leydon
Substitutes: Kilroy; Roberts, Webb, Teesdale, Nash
Sadly for the young Saddlers, their form showed little sign of improving as their visitors were able to craft a comfortable two-goal lead, with the Dragons seemingly cruising to victory at the expense of their hosts.
However, with just moments of the first forty-five remaining, Walsall were able to cut their visitors' lead in half as Kobe Wilkes and Charlie Wragg combined for the latter to run at the defence before hitting a low effort into the bottom corner of the goal.
Buoyed by their goal, the Saddlers were much brighter in the opening stages of the second half and could easily have got themselves back on level terms as Wilkes sought to add to his earlier assist with an effort that rose over the bar.
Unfortunately, the Saddlers weren't able to prevent Wrexham from adding another goal of their own as they reestablished their two-goal advantage with around twenty-minutes of the second half remaining.
Once again refusing to let their opponents run rampant, Walsall edged closer to parity as Wragg added his second goal of the game, capping off a great attacking move that saw the Dragons unable to thwart their hosts on this occasion.
Predictably, the visitors were soon back out into a two-goal lead as Jenson Kilroy, who had earlier replaced George Barrett in between the sticks, was unable to keep his sheet clean as Walsall's season of struggle continued.
| WRAGG (45+1') WRAGG (72') |
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| AT | RAY HALL LANE |