Walsall's 2025/26 campaign continued on Saturday afternoon as they welcomed Notts County to the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium for a League Two clash.Notts County started on the front foot, winning the first corner of the match just two minutes into the contest, as Vincent Harper was forced to turn the ball behind. Nothing would come of the early flag-kick, but the visiting side continued to press, winning a free-kick in a promising position just one minute later, as Oliver Norburn was fouled by Charlie Lakin.
The set-piece saw Jodi Jones force a save from Walsall shot-stopper, Myles Roberts.
Walsall were able to work the ball up to the other end following that chance, where Evan Weir crossed the ball into the box for Lakin, who was unable to find the target, as he sent the ball high and wide.
The Saddlers continued to enjoy a bright spell, with a promising move in the fourteenth minute, seeing Lakin cross the ball in for Daniel Kanu, with the ball then finding its way back to the number eight, whose effort on goal was deflected behind by Nick Tsaroulla. The resulting corner coming to nothing.
The hosts went on to win a free-kick in a promising position, which Weir delivered towards the back post, where Aden Flint was lurking, but the captain was unable to get a touch on the ball to turn it home.
Jamie Jellis became the first player to draw the attentions of the referee, as he went down under a challenge from Jones, with the referee deeming it to be simulation and showing him the yellow card.
County worked the ball back up to the other end, in the twenty-eighth minute, as Jones crossed to Tsaroulla, who headed the ball on for Grant, who chested it down before firing a low shot in on goal from the edge of the area, but Roberts was alert to the danger and made the save to keep the scores level.
Walsall thought they had opened the scoring in the thirty-fourth minute, as a free-kick was floated towards the back post by Weir, where Flint was waiting to head home, but the flag went up for an offside, and the goal was chalked off.
Brandon Comley joined Jellis playing on a caution, in the thirty-sixth minute, as he was shown the yellow card following a foul on Grant.
Things settled a little after that, with Walsall seeing plenty of the ball as play continued, though not creating much to trouble the County defences, although Kanu did see a forty-third minute effort blocked.
Two additional minutes were added to end the first-half, and one minute into them, Walsall opened the scoring as Kanu broke with the ball and played it into the box for to Aaron Pressley, who fired home to give his side the lead.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the sides headed off with Walsall leading by one-goal-to-nil at the break.
The teams returned unchanged after the break, and play got back underway. Walsall began the second-half brightly, with Jellis crossing the ball into the box for Jid Okeke, just three minutes after the restart, but the midfielders effort was blocked behind by Matty Platt, with the resulting corner coming to nothing.
Jodi Jones joined those playing on a caution, in the forty-ninth minute, as his name was added to the referee's notebook following a foul on Weir. The resulting free-kick was fired goal-wards by the fouled man, but he was unable to find the target from the tight angle.
Matthew Dennis then saw his name added to the referee's notebook in the fifty-first minute, as he cautioned for a foul on Flint.
Just four minutes later the yellow card was out again, as Conor Grant joined the growing ranks of players playing on a caution, following a foul on Harrison Burke.
County opted to make a triple substitution as we reached the fifty-seventh minute, with Lewis Macari, Conor Grant and Tyrese Hall making way as Rod McDonald, Harald Tangen and Keanan Bennetts joined the fray.
Walsall could have extended their lead just one minute after the changes were completed, as Lakin broke with the ball and played it on for Kanu, who drove into space, cut inside and fired an effort in goal, only narrowly missing the target as his low strike found the side-netting.
The visitors won a free-kick in a promising position shortly after the hour mark, from which McDonald crossed the ball into the box for Jacob Bedeau, but he was unable to find the target as he sent the ball wide of the mark.
County continued to press, with Jones crossing the ball in for Dennis, in the sixty-sixth minute, but his effort was blocked, and Tangen's follow-up strike was smothered by Roberts.
Things settled a little after that, with no clear cut chances for either side before the visiting side chose to make another change to their line-up in the seventy-first minute, when Nick Tsaroulla made way for former Saddler, Maziar Kouhyar.
Walsall chose to make their first changes of the afternoon, in the seventy-seventh minute, with Brandon Comley and Daniel Kanu making way for Courtney Clarke and Albert Adomah.
The Magpies won a corner in the seventy-ninth minute as Jellis blocked a Tom Iorpenda shot. The ball in from Jones was cleared, but only as far as Oliver Norburn, who fired an effort into the top corner from twenty yards out to level the scores.
Walsall looked to restore their lead quickly, with Pressley crossing the ball to Adomah, in the eightieth minute, but the strikers effort from outside the box was blocked.
Buoyed by the goal, County went close again in the eighty-third minute, as Norburn looked to turn provider, crossing the ball to Platt, whose strike from twenty-five yards out took a deflection before being cleared by Roberts.
The Saddlers shot-stopper was called into action again three minutes later, as Iorpenda looked to find the target from close range, but Roberts was not found wanting as he made the save.
Two minutes from time, the Walsall bench chose to make two further changes to their line-up, with Aaron Pressley and Jamie Jellis making way for Jamille Matt and Alex Pattison.
Keanan Bennetts was shown the yellow card, in the ninetieth minute, as he was booked for simulation.
Six additional minutes were added to end the match, and four minutes into them, Notts County took the lead, as Kouhyar crossed the ball into the box for Jones, who headed home from close range at the back post.
Harrison Burke joined those playing on a caution, in the sixth of the added minutes, as he was shown the yellow card following a foul on Dennis.
That would prove to be the final action of note, and the referee brought the contest to an end, with Notts County winning by two-goals-to-one. The Saddlers struggling to get a look in during the final thirty minutes, allowing their visitors to see much of the ball and secure the two goals needed to win.
| PRESSLEY (45+1') |
NORBURN (79') JONES (90+4') |
| AT | ESCOT STADIUM |
| REFEREE | SCOTT JACKSON |