Walsall’s Richard O’Kelly was quick to praise both sets of players after an entertaining friendly against Chasetown FC which ended with a 3-0 scoreline that somewhat flattered the visitors.
Manager Dean Smith was in the crowd of 130 that saw the Saddlers start brightly with a superb crossfield ball inside the first ten minutes from Liam Kinsella which Carlton McKenzie got under control and chipped goalwards, only to be denied by Ryan Price palming over his crossbar.
It took Walsall just two further minutes to open the scoring though. McKenzie found space inside the penalty area and drilled a shot across Price’s body into the far corner.
The Scholars had a lucky escape on the quarter hour when Tesfa Robinson conceded a penalty but Jake Heath’s effort was tamely struck wide of Price’s left-hand post.
Chasetown’s FA Cup goal hero Danny Smith thought he had levelled the scores with a neat finish past Liam Roberts, only to be denied by the assistant’s flag for offside.
Roberts was forced into a low save from the pacey Roland Agbor who created a chance out of nothing as the first half was played out in an end-to-end fashion.
On the stroke of half-time, the home side were appealing for a spot kick of their own after Nick Wellecomme tumbled under a challenge from Saddlers’ keeper Roberts.
Craig Harris’ men made a disastrous start to the second period. Long-serving central defender Chris Slater, being tried out at right back, got his wires crossed with Price and slid the ball unchallenged into his own net.
Within seconds, Chasetown were unlucky not to reduce the arrears. Wellecomme teed up strike partner Gary Hay whose powerful drive got the slightest touch from Roberts to deflect the effort onto the crossbar, the rebound cannoning against Robert’s right leg and luckily for him to relative safety.
Hay was again a thorn in Roberts’ side five minutes later with an attempted lob as the Walsall custodian advanced from his goal, with Roberts patting the ball down and falling onto the loose ball.
Danny Griffiths sealed the victory with a right foot shot in off Price’s right-hand post just after the hour mark to kill off any remote hope of a Chasetown fight back.
Hay was tenacious as a second half substitute and the former Willenhall Town and Hednesford Town striker saw his half volley bounce down and over the crossbar from ten yards following former league player Simon Brown’s lobbed cross.
Roberts was perhaps the pick of the young Walsall team and pulled off another fine stop to deny Leigh Downing with a fierce right footer after Hay set him up with a neat pass inside the penalty area.
O’Kelly said: “It was a really good game, played at a high tempo,” O’Kelly said. “Chasetown could easily have had three or four goals themselves. We just took our chances a bit better than they did.
“It’s the first time I’ve been here for four or five years and I am really impressed with the changes Chasetown have made to the set up.
“They’ve got a good team down here and I was really impressed with them.”
Chasetown: Price (Watson, 70 mins), Slater, Beckett (Harris, 77 mins), Westwood (Keenan, HT), Tesfa Robinson, Teesdale (c) (Forde, 70 mins), Brown (Theo Robinson, 70 mins), Bragoli, Wellecomme (Downing, 60 mins), Smith (Butler, 60 mins), Agbor (Hay, HT). Subs not used: Evans, James.
Walsall XI: Roberts (Jones, 83 mins), Kinsella, Christhorou, George (c), Garner (Henry, 66 mins), Heath, McKenzie (Reid, 66 mins), Flanagan, Griffiths (Ashmore, 75 mins), Isoufi (Bakayako, 75 mins), Rush (Rowley, 75 mins).
