Walsall Under-18s returned to EFL Youth Alliance action on Tuesday afternoon as they welcomed Wrexham to the Birmingham FA's headquarters on Ray Hall Lane.Still reeling from their disappointing 4-1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town, the young Saddlers were faced with the prospect of well-backed opposition, who were battling towards the top of the table.
WALSALL
Harrison Barber; Louie Webb, Ellis Harris, Sam Oliver, Jakub Pawlowski, Archie Bunn, Dylan Thomas, McLloyd Oben, Finn Teesdale, Will Etheridge, Lincoln Hunt
Substitutes: Fraser Hamilton-Wright; Ethan Khan, Ayden Bills, Noah Bowes, Samuel Griffiths
WREXHAM
Hall; Almeida, Biggs, Rees, Williams, Edwards, Chesworth, H. Jones, Nawaz, J. Jones, Murphy
Substitutes: O'Keefe; Watkin, Nolan, Graham, Widecki-Estima
Sitting at the foot of the table ahead of kickoff – below fellow strugglers Salford City – the Saddlers had little more than pride to play for as they and the Red Dragons went into battle.
⚽ However, it was Walsall who grabbed the opening goal of the contest as, following a foul on McLloyd Oben inside the area, Finn Teesdale grabbed the ball and slammed it into the back of Wrexham's net.
⚽ Sadly, the lead didn't last as the visitors levelled the scores some seven minutes after the opener when Carrick Murphy unleashed a powerful effort from distance, giving Harrison Barber little opportunity to keep his sheet clean.
Emboldened by their leveller, the visitors went on to create another opening later in the half when Lennon Biggs cut in from the wing and forced Barber into a strong save – the resulting corner coming to nothing.
The momentum didn't go all the way of the visitors when they saw their numbers reduced when Henry Jones was dismissed by the match officials with ten minutes of the first-half remaining.
The first real action of the second forty-five was on the touchline as the Saddlers made a change as Lincoln Hunt was replaced by Ayden Bills.
Harrison Barber had to keep his wits about him as the match got back underway as Umar Nawaz got inside his marker before firing an effort towards goal, the stopper being equal to the effort.
Nawaz was continuing to be an issue for the Saddlers as he forced Barber into another save a couple of minutes later, the ball being parried for a corner that came to nothing.
Walsall weren't without opportunities of their own, as goalscorer Teesdale saw a header drift wide of goal following Louie Webb's well-worked cross that found Finn in space.
The Saddlers went on to make their second change of the afternoon as Ethan Khan came on to replace Will Etheridge in attack.
⚽ However, despite enjoying a one-man advantage, the Saddlers would go on to concede another goal as Nawaz, who had been a threat since the second-half got underway, struck the ball into the back of the net.
⚽ Refusing to allow their visitors to take charge, Walsall got themselves back on level terms just a few minutes later when Jakub Pawlowski headed the ball home from a corner.
Both sides went on to make substitutions as Umar Nawaz, Sammy Chesworth and Daymeon Almeida were replaced by Tom Watkin, Julian Widecki-Estima and Wes Graham before Samuel Griffiths replaced Dylan Thomas for the Saddlers.
The first opening to arise from the changes saw the visitors fire wide of goal as Biggs unleashed an effort from distance.
⚽ Despite their opponents' abundance of fresh legs, it was the Saddlers who grabbed the next goal of the contest when Sam Oliver headed the ball beyond goalkeeper Jake Hall and into the back of the net.
More changes followed as Kian Nolan replaced Jac Jones for the visitors before Noah Bowes took the place of McLloyd Oben for the Saddlers.
⚽ With time ticking down, Wrexham went on to level the scores when Joe Rees sent a ball into the box, and Murphy was able to convert from close range.
⚽ The visitors went on to punish their opponents further when substitute Julian Widecki-Estima scored from a tight angle, securing all three points for his side.
| TEESDALE [P] (9') PAWLOWSKI (69') OLIVER (76') |
MURPHY (16') NAWAZ (65') MURPHY (90') WIDECKI-ESTIMA (90+2') |
| AT | RAY HALL LANE |