Youth Alliance: Walsall 1 Preston North End 3

Here is our latest look at how Walsall Under-18s got on as they took on PNE.

Walsall Under-18s were back EFL Youth Alliance — North action on Saturday afternoon as they played host to Preston North End U18s at the Birmingham County FA Headquarters at Ray Hall Lane.

WALSALL TEAM

Barber; Makavore, Wain, Wilkes, Harris, Pawlawski, Webb, Oben, Teesdale, Preece, Leydon

Substitutes: Hamilten-Wright, Holiday, Ghent, Bunn, Khan

PRESTON NORTH END TEAM

Pegrum; Nolan, Forwood, Lam, Blake, Brindle, Robinson, Gerrard, Ifezue, Longson, Ayodele

Substitutes: Stowell, Tarry, Carroll, Rodriguez-Gentile

After opening the month of February with a welcome win over Notts County, the young Saddlers were involved in a high-scoring though ultimately disappointing defeat to Rochdale last weekend, as despite scoring four goals, they last by five-goals-to-four.

Walsall named a side that included a handful of scholars along with several players from the younger ranks as a combination of injuries and loan spells saw several spaces in the matchday squad become available.

Saturday's meeting with Preston looked to have all the makings of another high-scoring affair as Ryan Simmonds side opened the scoring with just a couple of minutes on the clock, when Jaiy Leydon struck home.

Unfortunately for Walsall, their lead didn't last as North End levelled via Somto Ifezue before captain Jonny Brindle put them ahead from the spot four minutes before half-time.

The visitors added to their lead in the second-half when substitute Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile was alert to his own deflected effort as he headed the ball into the back of the Walsall net.

Walsall made a handful of changes as the second-half progressed with Ellis Harris being replaced by Archie Bunn before Louie Webb, Finn Teesdale and Harrison Barber made way for Rhys Holiday, Ethan Khan and Fraser Hamilten-Wright but that wasn't enough to impact the scoreline as the visitors took all three points.

FULL-TIME

WALSALL	1-3	PNE

LEYDON (2')	IFEZUE (32') BRINDLE [P] (41') RODRIGUEZ-GENTILE (75')
AT	RAY HALL LANE