Walsall were back in action on Tuesday evening as they welcomed Derby County to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium for their penultimate pre-season match ahead of the new campaign.Derby County began the game brightly, looking to get through on goal just three minutes into the contest, as Kayden Jackson broke through the Walsall defences, but Rico Browne was alert to the danger and got back to make a late challenge.
The game settled after the early chance, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball, without creating much of note.
Nine minutes in, Walsall saw their first chance of the evening go begging, as Charlie Lakin played the ball to the feet of Aaron Pressley, whose curling effort from distance sailed wide.
Just two minutes later, the Saddlers took the lead, as Browne curled an inviting cross in towards the back post, where Vincent Harper was waiting to head home, into the top corner.
Things settled again following the goal, with the two sides both spending time on the ball, but creating little to trouble their opposition defences.
Twenty-four minutes into the contest, Walsall were awarded a free-kick in a promising position, but Lakin was unable to find the target, sending the ball sailing over the crossbar.
Half an hour in, the Saddlers looked set to double their tally, as Jamie Jellis combined with Lakin to work the ball to Harper, inside the box, but the defender was unable to get a shot away as his first touch let him down.
The hosts went on to win a corner, in the thirty-eighth minute, which Lakin swung in for Browne, but the defender sent his header narrowly wide of the far post.
Derby levelled the scores, in the thirty-ninth minute, as Jackson broke through the Walsall defences and fired home, into the bottom corner, from twelve yards out.
The Saddlers restored their earlier lead, just four minutes later, as Jonny Stuttle muscled Danny Batth off the ball as he met a Matt Clarke pass across the box, before firing home into the bottom corner.
There was little further action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments, with Walsall leading by two-goals-to-one at the break.
Walsall chose to make three changes as the sides returned, with Myles Roberts, Jonny Stuttle and Priestley Farquharson sitting out the second-half, as Sam Hornby, Aden Flint and Josh Gordon took their places.
Both teams enjoyed early spells on the ball as the action got back underway, but it wasn't until the fifty-fourth minute that either side were able to create anything of note; Walsall going close, as Courtney Clarke picked up a loose ball inside the area and set up Jellis, whose effort on goal was denied by County 'keeper, Josh Vickers, before their defences scrambled clear.
Derby were awarded a penalty, in the sixty-first minute, as Clarke was penalised for a foul inside the area. Former Saddler, Corey Blackett-Taylor stepped forth to take the spot-kick, and duly converted to level the scores.
With sixty-three minutes on the clock, Walsall chose to make three further changes to their line-up, as they looked to give plenty of the squad a run-out, with Aaron Pressley, Jamie Jellis and Daniel Cox making way for Evan Weir, Levi Amantchi and Albert Adomah.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle as it continued, with little action of note before the Saddlers chose to introduce more fresh legs, as Brandon Comley, Charlie Lakin, Vincent Harper, Rico Browne and Courtney Clarke departed, with Mason Hancock, Connor Barrett, Ronan Maher, Harrison Burke and a Trialist taking their places.
County then chose to make ten changes to their line-up, as we entered the final twenty minutes.
Derby took the lead for the first time in the contest, in the seventy-seventh minute, as Charles Ebuka Agbawodikeizu tapped home from close range.
Things settled again following the goal, with little action of note before the referee called time on the game; Derby County winning by three-goals-to-two.
Some promising signs from the Saddlers though, who do look to have goals in the side.
| HARPER (11') STUTTLE (43') |
JACKSON (39') BLACKETT-TAYLOR [P] (62') EBUKA AGBAWODIKEIZU (77') |
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |