Walsall's 2025/26 EFL Youth Alliance – North campaign continued on Saturday morning when they took on Preston North End at the Lilywhites' Springfields Training Ground.Reaching the match on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Carlisle United, which was the young Saddlers' third such result in as many games, the Saddlers squad was made up of scholars and players from other age groups as they looked to return to winning ways.
PRESTON NORTH END
Milne; Jackson, Forwood, Garrigan, Blake, Brindle, Tary, Gerrard, Ayodele, Longson, Fitton
Substitutes: Muir, Lam, Haji, Lescott, Reid
WALSALL
Harrison Barber; Ellis Harris, Sam Oliver, Levi Wain, Jakub Pawlowski, Archie Bunn, Paul Makavore, Louie Webb, Finn Teesdale, Dylan Thomas, Jaden Kandemiri
Substitutes: Fraser Hamilton-Wright; Zion Tuitt, Younusa Kanyi, Jacob Fisher
In something of a familiar pattern for the young Saddlers, they were the ones to grab the opening goal of the game as, against the run of play, Finn Teesdale scored his seventh goal of the campaign to give his side the advantage heading into the half-time break.
However, as has been the case several times over recent games, the lads were unable to hold onto their lead as their opponents began to make better use of their goalscoring opportunities, something they'd failed to do during the first-half, when Marshall Longson, Ben Fitton, and substitute Clayton Lescott all scored to earn the home side a comfortable win.
Another match that saw the young Saddlers' resistance eventually worn down; however, there were plenty of positives to take from the contest as the team continues to show dominance for spells but will need to become more consistent if they're to get back to winning ways.
| LONGSON FITTON LESCOTT |
TEESDALE |
| AT | SPRINGFIELDS |