The Saddlers’ first public pre-season friendly of the summer ended in defeat against Solihull Moors.

Maz Kouhyar’s early drive put Walsall in front but two goals in seven second-half minutes from Jermaine Hylton turned the match on its head.

A Joe Edwards thunderbolt levelled matters, only for Joel Kettle to bundle home a late winner for Solihull five minutes from time.

It didn’t take long for the first goal to arrive, Maz Kouhyar drilling the Saddlers in front on three minutes with a low left-footed drive after a slick counter-attack.

Simeon Jackson went close with a 17^th-minute strike which Moors keeper Nathan Vaughan parried, before Tobias Hayles-Docherty sliced wide from a tricky angle.

Solihull’s first notable chance came just before the half-hour as Jermaine Hylton lashed wide from a difficult position.

Having grown into the contest, the National League side threatened again on the stroke of half-time when Jack Edwards headed a corner straight at Liam Roberts.

With a completely different XI, Walsall made an encouraging start to the second half.

First, Joe Edwards volleyed off target from an Amadou Bakayoko knock-down before Jordon Sangha curled marginally over after good play from new-boy Nicky Devlin.

But against the run of play, Solihull equalised on 54 minutes.

Jack Edwards’ flicked header from a long throw bounced down off the bar, with Hylton on hand to nod home the rebound from close range.

Seven minutes later and the Moors were ahead, Hylton capitalising on a short Sangha back pass to round Mark Gillespie and fire in his second of the afternoon.

The Saddlers restored parity with nine minutes left, Joe Edwards hammering a fierce half-volley into the roof of the net from a Cameron Peters knock-down.

But the scores didn’t stay level for long, as Joel Kettle diverted a low free-kick into the net to give Solihull victory five minutes from time.

First-half team: L Roberts, Kinsella, Preston, Guthrie, Leahy, Kouhyar, Chambers, Cuvelier, Jackson, Hayles-Docherty, Oztumer.

Second-half team: Gillespie, Devlin, K Roberts, Vann, Cockerill-Mollett, Sangha, Flanagan, Edwards, Morris, Bakayoko, Peters.

Attendance: 647