Hednesford Town - FA Youth Cup 11/11/08

[Pedagogue]

F.A. Youth Cup - Round One (Proper)

Walsall 5 3 Hednesford Town

Played at Bescot Stadium

Attendance:- 299 (allegedly! - there seemed more than that)

Walsall (4-4-2)
James Belshaw

Rory Wood (George Bowerman, 56 mins.)
Mark Cartwright
Darryl Westlake
Jon Patrick

Tom Overfield (Tom Faulkner, 90 mins.)
Mark Lowe
Shaun Geddes
Sam Adkins

Josh Craddock (Capt.)
Will Grigg (James Travis, 93 mins.)

Unused Substitutes:-
Jordan McCourt
Tom Cox (gk)

Manager:- Mick Halsall (assisted by Bill Jones)

Goal log:-
21st min. - 0-1 - Geddes tried to take a quick free-kick on the edge of his own penalty-area but only succeeded in giving the ball away to allow Dean Rathbone to put the young Pitmen ahead.
22nd min. - 1-1 - Walsall swept down the field from the restart and Craddock scored from Overfield's right-wing cross.
38th min. - 2-1 - Hednesford skipper, Ben Harbutt, turned a left-wing cross into his own net.
39th min. - 2-2 - Ryan Lester levelled for the visitors, immediately, with a shot from the edge of the penalty-area.
46th min. - 2-3 - Within 24 seconds of the restart, Hednesford regained the lead through left-winger, Jamey Osborne.
61st min. - 3-3 - Overfield levelled the scores with a superbly struck 25-yard free-kick.
72nd min. - 4-3 - Adkins edged the young Saddlers ahead from just inside the penalty-area.
93rd min. - 5-3 - a stoppage time goal from Lowe, after the ball had rebounded around the Hednesford penalty-area, put "the icing on the cake" for Walsall.

Comments:-
How this match didn't finish about 16-6 to Walsall, I will never know! To say that both teams looked a lot happier going forward than defending would be an understatement. For a long time, it seemed as if Walsall's profligacy in front of goal (Craddock was the main, but not the only, culprit) would cost them dear but they eventually got the win that they just about deserved.

Walsall will now face Rochdale in Round Two, next Monday, 17th November, at Bescot Stadium, k.o. 7-00 p.m.

[walsallforprem]

Thats gutting! I was thinking about going to the match and sounds like it was class. Good result though nevertheless.

[Exile]

Any of them ready for the first team yet?

[Pedagogue]

Any of them ready for the first team yet?

Well, there were a couple of VERY late substitutions!

[Duke]

good to see the kids doing well .

how's Geddes shaping up Bob ?

[adjisaddler]

i don't think i've heard of any of them ... i used to follow the reserves alot but now ive moved its impossible till i pass my test

[adjisaddler]

just seen the goals on saddlers world .. some crackers

[Exile]

Geddes tried to take a quick free-kick on the edge of his own penalty-area but only succeeded in giving the ball away

This chap sounds an absolute liability. Why do we persist in signing the players nobody else wants?