Walsall Under-18s returned to EFL Youth Alliance – North action on Saturday morning as they took on Oldham Athletic.Reaching the match on the back of a one-all draw against Morecambe, the young Saddlers were looking to avoid defeat and begin to build a head of steam following a dismal spell of form.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Hampson; Hughes, Howard, Steele, Mulcahy, McMahon-Brown, Kershaw, Amos, Decandia, Butler, MacBride
Substitutes: Potts, Potts, Koch, Anderson, Hughes
WALSALL
Harrison Barber; Ellis Harris, Levi Wain, Sam Oliver, Jakub Pawlowski, McLloyd Oben, Zion Tuitt, Archie Bunn, Paul Makavore, Dylan Thomas, Jaden Kandemiri
Substitutes: Finn Teesdale, Lincoln Hunt, Louie Webb, Will Etheridge, Marley Roberts
The young Saddlers started the game strong and went on to open the scoring with just eight minutes on the clock when McLloyd Oben stuck the ball into the back of Latics' stopper Harvey Hampson's net.
Walsall continued to prod and probe their opponents but, after seeing an effort cannon off the crossbar, were punished at the other end when David Amos put the game back on level terms.
The youngsters wasted no time in getting themselves back into the lead when Archie Bunn caught the home goalkeeper off guard and scored from the half-way line. A spectacular response from the Saddlers.
Sadly for the young Saddlers, despite beginning the second forty-five in the lead, they went on to steadily fall behind as their opponents entered a dominant spell.
The Latics' leveller arrived within ten minutes of the half getting underway when Frankie McMahon-Brown saw an effort go in off the underside of the bar.
They went on to take the lead via Rhys MacBride, who was afforded too much space inside the Walsall area and was only too happy to take advantage.
The next goal also went to the home side when Amos grabbed his second of the afternoon with a powerful volley from a McMahon-Brown cross.
Walsall closed the gap on their opponents during a thrilling spell in the contest, when Finn Teesdale was quickest to react to an initially saved effort as he pounced on the rebound to give his side a chance at securing a point.
A game that burst into life on several occasions, with the home side ultimately able to hold on and take all three points from a seven-goal thriller at the Latics' Chapel Road Training Ground.
| AMOS (2) McMAHON-BROWN MacBRIDE |
OBEN BUNN TEESDALE |