Earlier this afternoon, Neil Woods' Walsall Under 18s side played host to Morecambe Under 18s in the latest Football League Youth Alliance (North West) fixture of the season.
Neil Woods' side headed into the match on the back of a Walsall Senior Cup victory over Boldmere St. Michaels, the Saddlers XI included several members of the youth team squad along with previous graduates Matt Preston and Amadou Bakayoko.
The young Saddlers' most recent league outing was last weekend's away draw with Rochdale, Maz Kouhyar's penalty securing a point for his side. While Morecambe sat at the foot of the table, having lost six of their last seven league games, including a six-nil defeat to Bury last weekend.
The Saddlers kicked off the contest, and were on the front-foot for much of the opening exchanges.
A few minutes after Maz Kouhyar had forced the first save of the match, the Saddlers opened the scoring, as Cameron Peters poked the ball over the line following a blocked Will Shorrock effort.
The Shrimps' 'keeper was soon back in action as Tobias Hayles-Docherty forced another fine save, a good strong start from the Saddlers as the visitors looked to avoid another defeat.
The Saddlers doubled their lead just after the fifteen minute mark, as Dan Vann claimed the deflected strike, the visitors' heads beginning to drop.
Walsall continued to look dominant as the half went on, the Shrimps having very little of the ball as Walsall's midfielders controlled the flow of the game.
With a few minutes of the half remaining, Hayles-Docherty almost created another goal as his cross went dangerously across goal, sadly no Saddlers player had taken a chance and got themselves into the area.
Walsall made the score three-nil just before the break, as Cameron Peters was hauled down inside the area, Maz Kouhyar stepped up and slotted home to the goalkeeper's' left, a deserved lead for the Saddlers as half time arrived.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE YOUTH ALLIANCE - HALF TIME
WALSALL 3 MORECAMBE 0
The visitors got the second half underway, but the Saddlers continued to be the better side, a nice display of patient football, solid in the middle of the park, and a threat to the opposition's final third.
As the half continued Neil Woods made a couple of changes, with two-time Academy Player of the Year Ashley Maddocks replacing Sam Tonks, while Lezion Cela later replaced Tobias Hayles-Docherty a few minutes later.
With twenty-five minutes of normal time remaining, Maz Kouhyar forced another fine save out of the opposition goalkeeper, a great through-ball finding the midfielder in space.
The Saddlers went on to extend their lead soon after, as Will Shorrock sent the ball home to get his side's fourth goal, another poor display from bottom-of-the-table Morecambe, a side clearly lacking confidence.
Neil Woods went on to make his third and final change of the game as Kyle King replaced Cameron Peters.
Kyle, who had missed a year of football through injury, would have an immediate impact as he was on hand to slot home following a parried Cela effort.
Walsall rounded off the scoring with just a few minutes remaining as Jordon Sangha drove the ball past goalkeeper Maher from distance, a great performance from the young Saddlers, more despair for the visiting side.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE YOUTH ALLIANCE - RESULT
WALSALL 6 MORECAMBE 0
Peters (6'), Vann (16'), Kouhyar PEN (45'), Shorrock (66'), King (75'), Sangha (86')