Walsall were back in action on Saturday afternoon as they welcomed Tranmere Rovers to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium for their latest outing of the 2025/26 League Two campaign.Walsall began the game brightly, with Evan Weir crossing the ball into the box for Aden Flint, just one minute into the contest, but the defenders headed effort sailed wide of the target.
Tranmere saw more of the ball as the game continued, without creating much of note, and it was the Saddlers who would go on to create the next chance of the afternoon, as Charlie Lakin took won the ball back and raced forwards, before teeing up Daniel Kanu, in the sixth minute, with the strikers low effort being turned behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
With just nine minutes on the clock, Walsall found the breakthrough, as they were awarded a free-kick in a promising position after Nathan Smith fouled Ryan Flannigan. Weir the man to take the set-piece, curling an effort into the back of the net.
The hosts continued to probe, looking to add to their tally, going close again in the twelfth minute, as Vincent Harper crossed the ball to Weir, whose effort from outside the area sailed high and wide of the target, moments before Lewis Warrington saw an effort from the centre of the box go wide.
Tranmere began to grow into the game, with Josh Davison setting up Richard Smallwood, in the sixteenth minute, though nothing would come of the opportunity as his effort missed the target. The visitors would go on to win their first corner of the game, two minutes later, as Lakin turned the ball out of play, though nothing would come of that either.
The game settled into something of a midfield battle as play continued, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball without creating anything of note.
Walsall could have extended their lead in the twenty-fourth minute, as a ball from Harper fell to Lakin, whose effort from range flew high over the crossbar.
There was a brief halt to proceedings, in the twenty-fifth minute, allowing the Tranmere medical team to attend to an injured Jason Lowe. Play soon restarted, but just three minutes after initially going down, it became apparent that the Rovers defender would be unable to continue, and the side brought on Jordan Turnbull in his place.
Rovers saw much of the ball as the we raced through the half-hour mark, and could have levelled the scores in the thirty-fourth minute, as Smith crossed the ball to Omari Patrick, who fired goal-wards from outside the box, but failed to find the target, sending his effort high and wide.
Four minutes later, the visitors had more luck, as Davison broke with the ball before crossing it into the box where Joe Ironside was waiting to turn it home and level the scores.
Joe Ironside became the first player to be shown the yellow card, in the fortieth minute, following a foul on Harrison Burke.
The visiting side continued to press, winning a corner in the forty-second minute, as Kanu turned the ball behind. Smallwood crossed the ball in from the flag-kick, for Turnbull, who nodded his effort narrowly over.
Four additional minutes were added to end the first-half, and with fifty minutes showing on the clock, Walsall restored their earlier lead, as Tranmere failed to clear a Harper cross, allowing Weir to fire a powerful effort into the bottom corner.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and Walsall headed into the break leading by two-goals-to-one.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and the action got back underway. Walsall saw plenty of the early ball, and six minutes after the restart, could have added to their tally, but Kanu's strike from a tight angle was deflected away from goal by Tranmere 'keeper, Joe Murphy.
Things settled after that, with both sides enjoying time on the ball, without creating anything of note.
With sixty-one minutes on the clock, Walsall extended their lead, as Connor Barrett set Kanu though on goal, with the striker coolly firing into the bottom corner.
The Saddlers chose to make their first changes of the afternoon, moments after the goal had been scored, with Ryan Finnigan and Lewis Warrington making way for Courtney Clarke and Brandon Comley.
Tranmere created an opportunity to pull a goal back in the sixty-sixth minute, as a cross from Smallwood found the head of Smith, but the effort was blocked.
The Saddlers were quick to work the ball back up to the other end, where the recently introduced Clarke crossed the ball into the box for Aaron Pressley, whose right-footed effort was stopped by Murphy. The hosts kept the move alive, with Pressley heading on for Kanu, whose strike was also saved by the Rovers 'keeper.
The home side went on to win a corner, seconds later, from which Flint played the ball to Kanu, whose strike from the centre of the box was denied by Murphy, before Pressley crossed the ball back in for Burke, whose shot sailed wide.
Tranmere chose to make a triple substitution, twenty minutes from time, with Nohan Kenneh, Josh Davison and Patrick Brough making way for Billy Blacker, Taylan Harris and former Saddler, Cameron Norman.
Walsall continued to test the Rovers defences as play continued, winning a corner in the seventy-second minute, which was swung into the box by Weir, for Pressley whose header goal-wards from close range sailed high and wide of the target.
At the other end, three minutes later, the visitors could have pulled a goal back, but Patrick's strike from outside the area, was blocked, before Norman saw his follow up effort blocked too.
The visitors continued to enjoy a decent spell, with Harris crossing the ball in for Patrick, in the seventy-seventh minute, though the midfielders shot sailed harmlessly wide.
Both teams chose to make a further change, in the seventy-eighth minute, with Walsall replacing Harrison Burke with Priestley Farquharson, whilst Tranmere took Charlie Whitaker off, in favour of Connor Jennings.
Rovers continued to probe the Walsall defences, with Jayden Joseph playing the ball in for the recently introduced Jennings, ten minutes from time, but Walsall shot-stopper, Myles Roberts was alert to the danger and made the save, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
Walsall chose to make their final changes of the afternoon, two minutes later, with Daniel Kanu and Aaron Pressley making way for Albert Adomah and Jamille Matt.
The visiting side continued to seek a late goal to get them back in the game, with Norman crossing the ball in for Patrick, in the eighty-eighth minute, though the midfielders headed effort sailed wide, before Joseph crossed the ball back in for Harris, whose strike from close range sailed over.
Tranmere continued to press, and with eighty-nine minutes on the clock, they did pull a goal back, as Patrick crossed the ball to Blacker, who fired home with a strike from outside the box.
Five additional minutes were added to end the match, and just one minute into them, Walsall restored their two-goal lead, all but putting the game to bed, as Clarke crossed the ball into the box for Adomah, who fired home from the centre of the box.
A couple of Walsall corner followed, as the hosts continued to press, but nothing would come of either, and the game was brought to its conclusion with Walsall winning by four-goals-to-two.
| WEIR (9') WEIR (45+5') KANU (61') ADOMAH (90+1') |
IRONSIDE (38') BLACKER (89') |
| AT | BESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | ED DUCKWORTH |