A YOUTHFUL Saddlers' reserve team slipped to a 4-1 defeat at Port Vale despite taking an early lead through Jamie Paterson.

"It was a disappointing result for us in the end," said second-string boss, Martin O'Connor. "We fielded an extremely youthful side, including some of the scholars who have been released in order to give them the best possible chance to get fixed up elsewhere.

"Port Vale were more experienced than us, but we started the game well and deservedly took an early lead through Jamie Paterson.

"We allowed Vale to get back on level terms and I feel that we let the equaliser effect us too much and they went on to score two more goals in quick succession before half-time to effectively kill the game off and leave us with a mountain to climb in the second half.

"But we came out and had more possession after the break, creating a number of chances that we were unable to make count before Vale added a fourth goal.

"Hopefully the youngsters involved will learn from that. We gave it a go, but came up short in the end."

WALSALL: Cooney, Davies, Keenan, Hickman, Partridge, McCourt, Paterson, Geddes, Bowerman (Mellors-Blair), Grigg, Adkins. Subs not used: J. Jones, Cresswell, Wren.