Walsall's Under-18s were in EFL Youth Alliance – North action on Tuesday afternoon as they welcomed Oldham Athletic to the Birmingham County FA's headquarters on Ray Hall Lane.After seeing Saturday's home clash with Blackpool fall foul of the seemingly never-ending wet weather, Ryan Simmonds' team were looking to put their recent 3-0 defeat to Wrexham behind them and return to winning ways.
WALSALL
Harrison Barber; Ellis Harris, Marley Roberts, Sam Oliver, Jakub Pawlowski, Jack Tolley, Zion Tuitt, Archie Bunn, Finn Teesdale, Will Etheridge, Dylan Thomas
Substitutes: Lincoln Hunt, Jaden Kandemiri
OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Jones; Hughes, Howard, Steele, Mulcahy, Johnson, Decandia, McMahon-Brown, Amadin, Amos, Butterfield-Makone
Substitutes: Butler, Potts, Anderson, Koch
There was nothing to separate the sides over the course of the opening forty-five minutes, with the players battling it out for supremacy, Will Etheridge seeing the only effort of note go wide of the Latics' goal.
The second-half was a different story, however, as Saddlers midfielder Dylan Thomas put his side ahead with just two minutes played, his effort getting the better of the young Latics goalkeeper.
Oldham thought they'd levelled the scores midway through the half but were thwarted by the official who pulled play back for an earlier infringement, keeping Walsall's clean sheet intact.
The Saddlers continued to look for openings, and, with around eight minutes left to play, saw another Etheridge effort on goal, though the visitors looked to have prevented the Stourbridge loanee from getting his name on the scoresheet.
However, in the dying stages of the contest, Will's search for a goal was successful, as he got on the end of a Jack Tolley cross to send the ball into the back of the Latics' net, sealing the win for his side.
In the end a great result for the young Saddlers, who earn their first win in three games along with a welcome clean sheet ahead of this weekend's away trip to Bolton Wanderers.
| THOMAS (47') ETHERIDGE (90+4') |
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| AT | RAY HALL LANE |