Simeon Jackson netted four goals at Ray Hall Lane as The Saddlers’ Development Squad recorded a resounding 7-1 victory over York City.
Jackson netted twice in each half to give John Ward’s side a deserved three points in Central League North, with Will Shorrock netting a brace of goals and assists and centre-half Dan Vann rounding off the scoring.
Ward’s experienced Saddlers side contained several players on the fringes of the first team, including starts for Reece Flanagan, Daniel Agyei and Shaun Donnellan, all of whom made substitute appearances in the 4-2 win over Fleetwood Town less than 24 hours prior.
Donnellan could have given The Saddlers the lead eight minutes in, heading narrowly over from a left-wing cross, but Walsall would only need to wait another five minutes before taking the lead.
Maz Kouhyar got into a promising position with the ball on the left channel and drove down the line before pulling an intelligent pass back into the box, between two York defenders.
SHORROCK steamed in to slot home from close range and both he and his team would have their second goal barely a minute later.
Kouhyar again was the architect - this time getting to the byline and into the area before pulling a powerful ball across the 18-yard box - SHORROCK again was on hand to get his body to the ball first and bundle it home for 2-0 with barely 15 minutes on the clock.
With 26 minutes gone, Shorrock turned provider as he curled a neat low cross in from the right that found JACKSON in space, but with his route to goal blocked.
The Canadian international’s first effort was blocked on the line but Jackson tucked away the rebound with The Saddlers firmly in control for the rest of the first half.
Kouhyar rattled the bar just past the half-hour mark before York keeper Luke Simpson made a string of important saves to keep the deficit down to three goals - twice denying Jackson first from a corner and then one-on-one as the forward was released in on goal by a stunning slide-rule pass from Flanagan.
Jackson then released Agyei into the box, left-side, and the on-loan Burnley striker pulled an effort at goal but it ran wide of the far post.
Two minutes after the restart, The Saddlers made it 4-0. Flanagan, fresh off his assist for Tyler Roberts’ superb strike against Fleetwood, was excellent all afternoon at Birmingham County FA and his well-struck deep corner found Sangha, whose low shot hit a York player before falling to JACKSON to tuck home.
And within five minutes of play kicking off again for the second half, The Saddlers notched their fifth with Flanagan again the architect - his corner met by a fine diving header from young centre-half VANN that nestled into the back of the net.
JACKSON would claim his hat-trick in the 66th minute, running across the ball and glancing a header from Shorrock’s neat centre into the bottom-left corner.
And his fourth would come with seven minutes to play - JACKSON finding that same corner with a powerful low drive from just inside the box.
York would grab a consolation on 86 minutes as young striker Flynn MCNAUGHTON powered his way into the box before unleashing a fierce drive that beat Mark Gillespie and went in - but only after hitting both uprights.
SADDLERS: Gillespie, Tonks, Vann, Donnellan, Devlin (Oliver 75), Shorrock, Flanagan (Hayles-Docherty 63), Sangha (capt), Kouhyar (Peters 73), Jackson, Agyei (Candlin 81). Subs: Ganley.