SUPPORT US ON PATREON
Walsall returned to action on Sunday afternoon as they travelled to the Silverlake Stadium and took on Eastleigh in the First Round of the 2025/26 edition of the Emirates FA Cup.Walsall began the game brightly, winning a free kick, just two minutes into the contest, as Jordan Cousins fouled Courtney Clarke. The ball was played in, and headed by across goal by Aden Flint, but Eastleigh were able to scramble clear.
The Saddlers went on to win a corner in the fourth minute, but there was a brief halt to proceedings before it could be taken, allowing Jordan Cousins to receive attention from the Eastleigh medical team. It was soon determined that he would be unable to play any further part, and Kieron Evans was introduced in his place.
The visiting side were eventually able to take their corner, which was crossed towards the back post by Clarke, for Evan Weir, who was on hand to bundle home to open the scoring.
Eastleigh almost levelled the scores, in the twelfth minute, as a mistake at the back allowed Ciaran McGuckin a shot at goal, but Flint was on hand to clear off the line, before Harvey Saunders follow up effort was denied by Walsall shot-stopper, Myles Roberts. The resulting corner was initially headed goal-wards by Aaron Pierre before falling to Lloyd Humphries, whose headed effort from a tight angle struck the bar.
Aaron Pressley became the first player to see yellow, as he was cautioned in the eighteenth minute, following a foul on Temitope Eweka.
The hosts continued to enjoy a bright spell, and went close again in the twentieth minute, as Saunders looked to lift a long ball over Roberts. Fortunately for the Saddlers, the ball sailed narrowly wide of the upright.
Eastleigh continued to press, with Saunders playing the ball to McGuckin, whose effort from outside the box was deflected into the hands of Roberts, by Vincent Harper.
Roberts was called into action again in the twenty-fifth minute, as Evans fired an effort in on goal. The 'keeper was equal to it though, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
Walsall saw a chance to extend their lead go begging in the twenty-ninth minute, as Daniel Kanu managed to find space to get a shot away, but his effort trickled narrowly wide of the far post as Eweka got a touch on it. The resulting corner coming to nothing.
The Saddlers almost doubled their lead, in the thirty-seventh minute, as Connor Barrett drew a foul, winning a free-kick in a promising position, which was played into the box and initially saved by Eastleigh 'keeper, Nick Townsend, who spilled the ball, which was cleared off the line by Aaron Pierre.
Aaron Pierre then became the second player to see the yellow card, as he was cautioned following a foul on Pressley in the forty-fifth minute.
Weir took the resulting free-kick, as we entered three additional minutes, but his effort sailed inches wide of the upright.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments with Walsall leading by one-goal-to-nil.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and Eastleigh got the match back underway. As with the first half, Walsall began brightly, and just five minutes in they found the target, as Weir played the ball through for Kanu, who fired home to double his sides advantage.
Things settled a little after the goal, though Kanu did see an effort from a tight angle saved, in the fifty-fourth minute.
The visiting side continued to enjoy a bright spell, with Kanu going close again in the fifty-ninth minute, as he beat his man and curled an effort in on goal, but the ball sailed narrowly wide of the target.
Eastleigh opted to make their second change of the afternoon, in the sixty-second minute, as Jake Vokins made way for Luke Skinner.
Walsall continued to press as the game continued, with Harper playing the ball through for Weir, in the sixty-third minute, but the defenders effort from outside the box sailed high and wide.
The hosts, who had started the second-half rather quietly, were able to get a shot away, in the sixty-fifth minute, as the ball was worked forward for McGuckin, who fired goal-wards from outside the box, but saw his effort blocked.
Eastleigh continued to press, winning a corner in the sixty-eighth minute, as they looked to get back in the game, but nothing would come of the flag-kick as Skinner's strike from outside the area sailed narrowly wide of the upright.
The Saddlers chose to make their first two changes of the afternoon, in the seventy-first minute, with Aaron Pressley and Courtney Clarke making way for Jamille Matt and Jamie Jellis.
The homes side continued to seek a goal back as we entered the final fifteen minutes, winning a corner in the seventy-seventh minute as Roberts was forced to turn a Saunders strike behind. The resulting corner coming to nothing.
With seventy-nine minutes on the clock, the Saddlers put the game to bed, as they broke with the ball in a move which culminated in Matt slotting past Townsend to secure the sides third goal of the afternoon.
Six minutes from time, Walsall chose to make two further changes to their line-up, with Daniel Kanu and Brandon Comley departing, as Albert Adomah and Ryan Finnigan joined the fray.
Eastleigh opted to make a late double change, with Aaron Pierre and Harvey Sanders making way for Luis Fernandez and Angel Waruih, in the eighty-eighth minute.
Four additional minutes were added to end the match, during which time, Evans found himself in position to shoot, but his effort from outside the area failed to trouble Roberts, as the ball sailed high and wide of the target.
That would prove to be the final action of note, as the game was brought to its conclusion; Walsall advancing to the second round, with a convincing victory on the road, winning by three-goals-to-nil.
| WEIR (6') KANU (50') MATT (79') |
|
| AT | SILVERLAKE STADIUM |
| REFEREE | LEE SWABEY |