A somewhat young version of Walsall's Development squad were in action on Wednesday evening as they travelled to Great Wyrley and took on Wolverhampton Sporting in the Quarter-Final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup. Here is our Match Report.
John Ward's Saddlers reached the Quarter-Final stage with victories over Rushall Olympic and Hanley Town, whilst Andy Paddock's Wolves defeated Bilston Town and Walsall Wood to book their place in the last eight.
The Saddlers started the game well and went close to opening the scoring early on as Joe Cairns got on the end of a neat pass and crashed the ball wide with just five minutes on the clock.
Sporting's Dan Scragg forced the Saddlers' defence into action with fifteen minutes of play on the clock as he volleyed the ball towards goal following Cody Fisher's headed clearance. No danger to Ethan Dawe, but certainly a warning shot.
Walsall would go into the lead eighteen minutes into the first-half as Ethan Freemantle gathered the ball, cut inside and fired the ball across goal and into the far left corner of goal, little chance for Sporting stopper Dale Reaney to react as Walsall opened the scoring.
The Saddlers doubled their lead ten minutes later as Owen Nolan and Stefan Mason combined for the latter to slot home from close range, the young Saddlers settling into the game with plenty of time to play.
Walsall could've further extended their lead soon after as Alfie Bates dragged the very best out of goalkeeper Reaney with a sweetly struck free-kick. The stopper doing well to prevent another goal with a nice one-handed save.
Sporting didn't allow their heads to drop and would go on to cut the Saddlers' lead shortly after the half-hour mark as Tom Hill slotted the ball home following Dimitri Dunkley's right-wing cross.
Disappointingly for the Saddlers the scores would soon be level as Hill did well to pounce on Dawe's poor clearance, round the stranded stopper and slot the ball home, with the ball taking a deflection off a desperate defender's leg. The home side reaching the break with a share of the spoils.
The Saddlers started the game well and went close to opening the scoring early on as Joe Cairns got on the end of a neat pass and crashed the ball wide with just five minutes on the clock.
Sporting's Dan Scragg forced the Saddlers' defence into action with fifteen minutes of play on the clock as he volleyed the ball towards goal following Cody Fisher's headed clearance. No danger to Ethan Dawe, but certainly a warning shot.
Walsall would go into the lead eighteen minutes into the first-half as Ethan Freemantle gathered the ball, cut inside and fired the ball across goal and into the far left corner of goal, little chance for Sporting stopper Dale Reaney to react as Walsall opened the scoring.
The Saddlers doubled their lead ten minutes later as Owen Nolan and Stefan Mason combined for the latter to slot home from close range, the young Saddlers settling into the game with plenty of time to play.
Walsall could've further extended their lead soon after as Alfie Bates dragged the very best out of goalkeeper Reaney with a sweetly struck free-kick. The stopper doing well to prevent another goal with a nice one-handed save.
Sporting didn't allow their heads to drop and would go on to cut the Saddlers' lead shortly after the half-hour mark as Tom Hill slotted the ball home following Dimitri Dunkley's right-wing cross.
Disappointingly for the Saddlers the scores would soon be level as Hill did well to pounce on Dawe's poor clearance, round the stranded stopper and slot the ball home, with the ball taking a deflection off a desperate defender's leg. The home side reaching the break with a share of the spoils.
Wolves
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2 - 2
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Walsall
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Walsall had a trio of wayward efforts early in the second half. The first falling to Ben Kendrick had who lifted a header narrowly over the bar with only a couple of minutes gone. His teammate Joe Cairns also found space in front of goal and failed to find the target, the striker firing over the bar after displaying some neat control. Then Dan O'Sullivan kept the ball-boys busy as he missed the target following Freemantle's pull-back pass.
Wolves, who looked well beaten during stages of the first-half, well and truly turned the game on it's head and went into the lead after sixty-four minutes as Hill completed his hat-trick with an overhead kick following Dunkley's right-wing cross.
The Saddlers looked to get back on level terms as the half reached the midway point as Owen Nolan forced Reaney into a save with a low drive, the stopper saving well with his legs.
Despite the Saddlers' best efforts they were unable to get back on the scoresheet and would ultimately crash out of the competition, with Wolves advancing to the Semi-Final stage, where they will face either Staffordshire Rangers or Kidsgrove Athletic.
Wolves, who looked well beaten during stages of the first-half, well and truly turned the game on it's head and went into the lead after sixty-four minutes as Hill completed his hat-trick with an overhead kick following Dunkley's right-wing cross.
The Saddlers looked to get back on level terms as the half reached the midway point as Owen Nolan forced Reaney into a save with a low drive, the stopper saving well with his legs.
Despite the Saddlers' best efforts they were unable to get back on the scoresheet and would ultimately crash out of the competition, with Wolves advancing to the Semi-Final stage, where they will face either Staffordshire Rangers or Kidsgrove Athletic.
Wolves
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3 - 2
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Walsall
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Hill (32')
Hill (42') Hill (64') |
Freemantle (18')
Mason (25') |
Attendance: -
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Referee: James Clements
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