Youth Team v. Port Vale Semi-Final 19/3/08

[Pedagogue]

Midland Youth Cup (Semi-Final)

Saddlers 3 5 Port Fail
(after extra time: 3-3 at full-time)

Attendance:- 133

Walsall (4-4-2)
Joel Skeldon

Jake Woollaston
Dan Schwarz (Andrew Bentley, 59 min.)
Tom Schwarz
Hassan Bacchus

Stewart Hendrie
Richard Davies (Captain)
Jamie Silver
Alan Wilkes (Mark Lowe, 65 min.)

Rory Curtis (Joe Howes, 82 min.)
Josh Craddock

Unused Substitutes:-
Daryl Westlake
Tom Cox (gk)

Manager:- Mick Halsall (assisted by Bill Jones)

Goal Log:-
9th min. 0-1 - Ross Davidson's 25 yard shot hit the crossbar and the Walsall defence stood and watched as Will Brown tapped in the loose ball.
20th min. - 1-1 - Craddock worked his way into the Vale penalty area to level the scores with a left foot shot.
45+1 min, - 1-2 - Vale skipper, Davidson, worked a sweet "one-two" with James Lawrie to deservedly restore Vale's lead, right on the stroke of half-time, although Skeldon appeared to let the ball through his hands, rather like Ince against Brighton.
59th min. - 1-3 - Simon Richman put the visitors in the driving seat with a well-taken goal.
77th min. - 2-3 - Craddock set up an interesting finish to the game by scrambling the ball home through a crowd of players.
89th min. - 3-3 - Craddock completed his hat-trick with a last-gasp equaliser to force extra time.
110th min. - 3-4 - Walsall failed to clear their lines and substitute, Sam Lovatt, drove the ball home.
120th min. - 3-5 - Lawrie seized on a miskick and burst through a tiring Walsall defence to clinch a Final against Lincoln City, next month.

Comments:-
Vale just about deserved the win in a match in which both teams looked happier attacking than defending. The visitors always appeared to carry a greater threat up front and seemed to have the game sewn up when 3-1 ahead with half an hour left. However, they showed their inexperience and naivety by letting the young Saddlers back into the game. Ironically, it was in extra time, when Walsall were finally getting on top, that they fell for the sucker punch, conceding two goals against the run of play. Thus, cup-holder Walsall’s dream of a third consecutive Final appearance was shattered.

Players for the future? – very difficult to predict. The defence looked very out of sorts, particularly the Schwarz twins and the midfield did not really feature until late in the game when skipper Richard Davies finally wrestled control from his opposite number in the Vale team. Curtis and Craddock gave the Vale defence a hard time but Hendrie and Wilkes were disappointing.

[Exile]

Shame about the result - but well done to all the Youth for getting as far as they did.

[Registered Saddler]

3-5? Is Merson back?

[latviancheese]

3-5? Is Merson back?

:lol:

[retired]

What a dissapointment for Mick and Bill Jones

But this is the 3rs year that they have steered the youth to the finals

I just wonder if any of the present crop will be as good as previous years.

Has anyone heard if Mick Halsall has had his contract nenewed yet.

well done lads