Danny Johnson scored the only goal of the game as Walsall edged out Fulham’s under 21s at the Bescot Stadium last night to move top of Group I in the Football League Trophy.
The striker scored his second winner in as many matches when he turned home a shot from Charlie Lakin just before the hour mark. Walsall keeper Sam Hornby was the hero at the death as he guessed the right way to superbly save a penalty from Kristian Sekularac after Luc de Fougerolles had been fouled in the box.
Walsall, who made eight alterations from Saturday’s win over Bradford City, made the stronger start with Alfie McNally sprawling to his right to keep out an effort from Lakin. Reyes Cleary flashed a drive fractionally wide after finding some space 25 yards out before veteran winger Albert Admoah, once a Fulham target in the Roy Hodgson era, danced passed Jonathan Esenga and crossed for Jack Earling, who headed over.
Terrell Works had Fulham’s first effort on the target but his strike was pushed away by Hornby and just before the break, after de Fougerolles had produced a masterly piece of defending to deny Johnson when the striker was poised to shoot, the visitors went even closer. Works did well to free Chris Donnell inside the box but the midfielder couldn’t beat Hornby after the Walsall keeper dashed from his goal-line.
The only goal of the game arrived four minutes after the interval. Lakin’s shot from a well worked short corner was going well wide but Johnson redirected it past McNally with a clever flick. Hayden Mullins’ men responded well to going behind and finished several opportunities in the final fifteen minutes. Callum Osmand uncharacteristically ballooned a finish over the bar from five yards out excellent approach play from Esenga before Works sent a fine curler agonisingly wide after latching on to a lofted ball from Ollie Gofford.
Hornby kept out a vicious drive from substitute Aaron Loupalo-Bi and then surpassed himself with the crucial last-minute penalty save from Sekularac on a frustrating night for the young Whites. Mullins’ side return to PL2 action at Stevenage on Friday night when they take on Tottenham Hotspur.
WALSALL (3-5-2): Hornby; Okagbue, Williams, Weir; Adomah (Wragg 90), Hall (C. Barrett 42), Earing (Thomas 90), Maher, Lakin; Cleary (Lowe 59), Johnson (Jellis 59). Subs (not used): Simkin, Allen.
BOOKED: Hall, Okagbue.
GOAL: Johnson (49).
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-1-4-1): McNally; Gofford (de Jesus 85), Esenga (Slade 77), de Fougerolles (Nsasi 90+1), Amissah; Nwoko; Donnell, Sekularac, Works (Loupalo-Bi 77), Gordon; Osmand. Subs (not used): Underwood, Quashie, Ali Wahid.
REFEREE: Martin Woods (Lancashire).
ATTENDANCE: 850.
