The Saddlers looked to return to winning ways as they made their way to the Hive Stadium in London and took on last season's National League champions, Barnet.Walsall began the game brightly, and took an early lead, with just two minutes on the clock, as Jonny Stuttle worked the ball to Charlie Lakin, whose low cross into the box was fired home by Connor Barrett.
The Saddlers continued to see much of the ball as the game continued, though they were unable to create anything further of note in the early goings.
Barnet looked to level the scores in the eleventh minute, with Ryan Glover playing the ball to Nnamdi Ofoborh, whose effort from outside the box failed to test Walsall shot-stopper, Myles Roberts, as the sailed high and wide.
The hosts enjoyed a good spell as play continued, winning a corner, in the thirteenth minute, as Barrett turned the ball behind, but nothing would come of the flag-kick, as Oliver Hawkins header goal-wards was blocked.
Another chance fell their way, in the seventeenth minute, but Ofoborh's strike from the edge of the area was well saved by Roberts, who got enough on the ball to turn it away from goal.
With twenty-two minutes on the clock, Walsall doubled their advantage; winning a free-kick in a promising position, which Mason Hancock curled towards the back post, where an unmarked Aaron Pressley was waiting to prod home, into the far corner.
The Saddlers allowed Barnet to see more of the ball as the game continued, but thwarted every attempt to get forwards.
Nnamdi Ofoborh became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned following a foul on Jamie Jellis, in the thirty-first minute.
He was not alone in the referee's notebook for long, as just four minutes later, Mark Shelton was booked for fouling Lakin.
Five minutes from time, Barnet reduced the deficit, as Anthony Hartigan crossed the ball into the box from a corner, for Oliver Hawkins, who headed home from close range.
One additional minute was added to end the first-half, but 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.
The teams returned unchanged following the break, and Walsall got the action back underway.
Kane Smith joined those playing on a caution, as he was shown the yellow card, in the forty-ninth minute, following a foul on Lakin.
The hosts could have levelled the scores, six minutes into the second-half, as Glover found space to cut inside and fire goal-wards, but his effort from outside the area sailed high and wide of the target.
Barnet were reduced to ten men in the fifty-third minute, as Nnamdi Ofoborh was shown a second yellow card, following a foul on Barrett, and was dismissed from the game.
Walsall almost restored their earlier two-goal advantage, in the fifty-sixth minute, as Hancock found himself through on goal, but Adam Senior was alert to the danger and made a late challenge to deny him. The resulting corner coming to nothing, as Jellis' ball in was turned over by Lakin.
Barnet chose to make their first change of the afternoon, as we reached the hour mark, with Kane Smith making way for Ryan Galvin.
The Saddlers chose to make their first substitution, just two minutes later, as Jonny Stuttle was replaced by former Barnet man, Albert Adomah.
Adomah was quick to get involved in the action, crossing a promising ball to Comley, just two minutes after his introduction into the game, but Brandon was unable to find the target, seeing his effort blocked.
Barnet opted to make their second change of the game, in the sixty-sixth minute, as Mark Shelton made way for former Saddler, Emmanuel Osadebe.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle as it continued, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball without creating anything of note.
In the seventy-fourth minute, Walsall made two further changes to their line-up, with Harrison Burke and Charlie Lakin departing, as Priestley Farquharson and Courtney Clarke joined the fray.
Farquharson was quick to get involved, crossing the ball to Jellis, moments after his arrival in the game, though the midfielder was unable to make use of the ball, sending his effort, from outside the box, sailing high over the crossbar.
The Saddlers chose to make their final two changes of the afternoon, in the seventy-ninth minute, as Brandon Comley and Aaron Pressley were replaced by Lewis Warrington and Jamille Matt.
The Bees followed suit, two minutes later, making three final changes to their line-up, as Ryan Glover, Anthony Hartigan and Callum Stead saw their places filled by Idris Kanu, Zak Brunt and Lee Ndlovu.
Barnet saw plenty of the ball as we raced towards full-time, winning a corner in the eighty-fourth minute, as a ball in from Collinge was turned behind.
Nothing would come of the flag-kick, however, but the hosts continued to probe, winning a free-kick for their efforts, in the eighty-eighth minute, which the Saddlers were eventually able to clear behind for another corner, which would ultimately come to nothing.
Five additional minutes were added to end the match, during which time, Brunt found himself in space, with a chance to level the scores, but he was unable to find the target, sending the ball wide. That would prove to be the final action of note, and the game was brought to its conclusion, with Walsall winning by two-goals-to-one. Three useful early points on the road for the Saddlers.
| HAWKINS (40') |
BARRETT (2') PRESSLEY (22') |
| AT | HIVE STADIUM |
| REFEREE | ABIGAIL BYRNE |