Walsall continued their build towards the 2025/26 campaign with a pre-season clash with Aston Villa at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium.
Walsall began the game brightly, creating their first chance of the evening just one minute in, as Mason Hancock crossed the ball in from the right for Aaron Pressley, whose headed effort sailed narrowly over the crossbar.The teams took some time to settle into the encounter, but ten minutes in, Pressley was involved again as he picked up a loose ball following a poor clearance and set up Charlie Lakin, whose powerful effort goal-wards was well saved by Aston Villa 'keeper, Joe Gauci.The Saddlers continued to show promising signs as the game continued, with Albert Adomah attempting to lob the Villa 'keeper from the centre circle, in the eighteenth minute, but Gauci was alert to the danger and got a fist to the ball to keep it out.Walsall were awarded a free-kick in a promising position, in the twenty-third minute, which Jamie Jellis swung into the box for Hancock, but the defender was unable to keep his headed effort down, sending the ball over the crossbar.Aston Villa were forced to make an early change, just half an hour into the contest, as Joe Gauci picked up an injury, with Filip Marschall brought on in his place.The hosts opened the scoring in the thirty-eighth minute, as Jellis crossed the ball towards goal from the edge of the area, with Harrison Burke flicking it on into the bottom corner.
There was little further action of note before the sides headed off to enjoy their half-time refreshments, with Walsall leading by one-goal-to-nil at the break.
Aston Villa chose to send out a fresh team for the second-half, making ten changes to their line-up, but it was Walsall who looked the brighter of the two sides after the restart, with Adomah floating a cross onto the head of Pressley, in the fiftieth minute, though it would come to nothing, as the Villa 'keeper was well positioned to make the save.The Saddlers continued to press, with Jellis seeing an effort from range sail over the crossbar, in the fifty-second minute.The hosts continued to look good value, with Adomah attempting the spectacular, in the fifty-fifth minute, with an overhead effort, but the visiting defences were able to clear.As we reached the hour mark, Villa created their first real chance of note, as the ball was played in by Brad Burrowes, for Charlie Pavey, whose headed effort sailed narrowly wide of the target.Shortly after the hour mark, Walsall chose to make nine changes to their line-up, notably introducing Trialist B - former Saddler, Romaine Sawyers.The Saddlers continued to press, with the ball being played in for Courtney Clarke, in the sixty-seventh minute, but he was unable to find the target, sending the ball narrowly wide of the upright.Fifteen minutes from time, Villa almost drew level as Lewis Dobbin raced through on goal, but Walsall shot-stopper, Sam Hornby was on hand to palm the ball clear.The visiting side continued to enjoy a bright spell of play, with Pavey firing goal-wards, in the seventy-seventh minute, but he was unable to find the target.
Things settled again after that, with both sides enjoying spells on the ball without creating anything further of note; the game being brought to its conclusion with Walsall winning, one-goal-to-nil.
BURKE (38')
AT
BESCOT STADIUM
ATTENDANCE
9,500 (3,980 AWAY)