Walsall Under 18s 0-3 Carlisle United U18s
Walsall Under 18s suffered defeat in their opening match of the 2022/23 campaign.
It was a frustrating start for the Saddlers who had to contend with losing two key players to injury just five minutes into the match.
Carlisle went into the interval with a commanding 2-0 lead and put the game to bed early in the second half.
The Saddlers continued to push despite the deficit but couldn’t find a consolation goal.
Professional Development Phase Coach Ben King admitted it was a difficult defeat to take given the injuries picked up.
“It was a tough one to take,” he said.
“Five minutes into the game, we lost two of our centre halves who unfortunately both ended up in hospital.
“They’ve both tried to head the ball and collided with each other. Luckily, they’re OK and have been given the all clear.
“That changes the game when you lose two second year scholars.
“After that we created a couple of chances. We had one that hit the crossbar and the post, had another chance that we couldn’t manage to get in.
“We were doing OK, probably needed more quality in possession.
“We then conceded two sloppy goals which was frustrating. In the second half, we conceded another soft goal and went 3-0 down.
“What is nice is that at this point last year, we’d have collapsed but the lads kept working and kept fighting.
“We created chances but unfortunately, we didn’t take them. It’s frustrating, especially having a good pre-season, because we lost two key players in the first five minutes of the opening game and they will be out for a while. We also had to change plans and that affects performance.”
The Under 18s are back in action on Saturday 13th August as the travel to Fleetwood Town.