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Squad
Sam Arnold (Kings Hill), Sean Broadhurst (Busill Jones), Mitchell Clarke (St. John's), Jonathan Gould (Chuckery), Liam Harpin (Walsall Wood), Ryan Harris (Leamore), Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary's), Jak Morrell-Davies (Christchurch), Jake O'Brien (St. Patrick's), Joe Price (Blackwood), Kemar Roofe (Chuckery), Matthew Rooke (Woodlands), Ashley Southall (Millfield), Jamie Stanton (Chuckery), Adam Winn (Leighswood).

Walsall SFA Under-11A squad 2003-04

Press Reports

Walsall U-11 3 Brierley Hill and Dudley U-11 3 - 14.02.04
Walsall under-11s had to settle for a share of the points in this Burton Shield game as Brierley Hill and Dudley twice came from behind in an entertaining game. Jonathan Gould (Chuckery), making an impressive debut, gave Walsall an early lead. Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) then increased Walsall’s lead with a well taken free kick. Scott Jukes (St. John’s) almost added a third with a long-range chip over the keeper. The visitors pulled a goal back early in the second half when a shot from Adam McBride crept under the diving Sam Arnold (Kings Hill). Arnold then produced a good block to prevent an equaliser but could do nothing about a Thomas Piggott thunderbolt that found the roof of the net. Matthew Rooke (Woodlands) restored Walsall’s lead when he followed up an Ashley Southall (Millfield) shot that had cannoned off the bar. With seconds left Brierley Hill and Dudley equalised when a Shane Bennett corner was deflected into the net.

Stoke-on-Trent U-11 1  Walsall U-11 1 - 7.02.04
Playing against the wind in the first half of this Staffordshire league game Walsall looked the most likely to score against high-flying Stoke. Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) curled a free kick just wide and Ashley Southall (Millfield) had a header well saved. Walsall took a deserved lead just before half time when good work by Roofe and Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s) set up Southall to hit an unstoppable shot from outside the box. The second half was dominated by Walsall but they were unable to convert several good chances. Ryan Harris (Leamore) and Jamie Stanton (Chuckery) were both unlucky not to increase Walsall’s lead. It was cruel luck on Walsall when Stoke broke away to score the equaliser in the dying minutes.

Walsall U-11A 2 Wolverhampton U-11A 4 - 10.01.04
Walsall under-11s seemed to be heading to a vital victory in this West Midlands game as they were 2-0 up a minute before the break. Goals from Ryan Harris (Leamore) and Ashley Southall (Millfield) had put Walsall well on top before two goals in the last minute of the first half saw Wolves claw themselves back into the game. Lee Butler (Collingwood) scored the first for Wolves following an Alex Turner (Holy Rosary) free kick. Seconds later Butler hit the bar and Turner followed up to score the equaliser. Five minutes into the second half James Quarry (Holy Rosary) put Wolves in front with a fine individual goal. Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) almost hit back for Walsall but his effort grazed the bar. Quarry settled things with a goal scored from an acute angle.

Wolverhampton U-11A 2 Walsall U-11A 0 - 13.12.03
Wolverhampton under-11s claimed all the Staffordshire points in this close-fought battle. James Quarry (Holy Rosary) gave Walsall an early warning when Sam Arnold (Kings Hill) had to pull off a smart save. Walsall then saw Ashley Southall (Millfield) denied by a clearance off the line and Kemar Roofe (Chuckery), following up, saw his shot shave the far post. Arnold then produced two successive saves to deny the dangerous Alex Turner (Holy Rosary). Turner was then brought down in the box and Quarry converted the penalty to give Wolves a half time lead. In the second half Quarry was fouled in the box but this time skipper Ryan Lloyd (Underhill) stepped up to take the penalty and Arnold saved it. Arnold could do nothing about the second goal, a great shot from Lee Butler (Collingwood). There was still time for Arnold to seal man-of-the-match with another smart save, this time from a Brooklyn Kirwan (St. Patrick’s) effort.  

Solihull U-11 2 Walsall U-11 0 - 6.12.03
Walsall under-11s slumped to an undeserved defeat at windswept Solihull. Walsall dominated the first half and were unlucky not to take the lead on several occasions. Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) came the closest to scoring when a long-range effort narrowly went over the bar. The Solihull keeper showed fine handling and superb reflexes as he managed to keep the Walsall forwards at bay. The second half was a much more even affair with both sides looking dangerous. Tom O'Sullivan (St. Anne’s) had an audacious chip scrambled off the line by a defender and Sam Arnold (Kings Hill) in Walsall's goal made a couple of impressive saves. Solihull however took the lead when a shot from the edge of the area was well saved but the follow up was turned home from close range. Walsall then threw caution to the wind as they went in search of a late equaliser. A superb run and cross by Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s) resulted in Sean Broadhurst (Busill Jones) shooting just wide. Unfortunately for Walsall Solihull doubled their lead from a swift counter attack leaving no time to get back in the game. (Report from Andy Mills)

Brierley Hill and Dudley U-11A 2 Walsall U-11A 4 - 29.11.03
Walsall under-11's completed a convincing win on a very wet and muddy pitch. From the outset Walsall dominated proceedings and could twice have taken an early lead but both Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s) and Joe Price (Blackwood) were denied by superb goalkeeping from the home goalkeeper. Midway through the half Walsall did indeed take the lead when a fine through ball from Jamie Stanton (Chuckery) found Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) who scored at the second attempt. Soon after Walsall doubled their lead when Ashley Southall (Millfield) headed a Stanton free kick home. As Walsall continued to dominate a superb Tom O'Sullivan (St. Anne’s) run was cruelly ended by rather crude defending. The resulting free kick saw Roofe score with a shot directly into the top corner. The second half opened with the home side pressing forward although Walsall still looked dangerous on the break and O'Sullivan was unlucky to fire into the side netting. However the home side's pressure told with two goals inside two minutes. Walsall however weathered the storm due to fine defending and good goalkeeping by Sam Arnold (Kings Hill). Walsall added a fourth late on in the game when Matthew Rooke (Woodlands) slotted home from close distance. (Report from Andy Mills)

Walsall U-11A 4 Leicester U-11A 1 - 22.11.03
The under-11A side recorded an impressive victory against Leicester. Tom O’Sullivan (St. Anne’s) opened the scoring thanks to a Joe Price (Blackwood) cross. Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s) then found the net with a good header but it was ruled out for offside. Leicester then equalised but Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) restored Walsall’s lead from the kick off with a splendid effort into the top corner. Keeper Sam Arnold (Kings Hill) kept Walsall in front with two good saves and Jake O’Brien (St. Patrick’s) cleared a Leicester shot off the line. Roofe and O’Sullivan each grabbed a second goal as Walsall dominated the rest of the game.

Redditch U-11 5 Walsall U-11 2 - 15.11.03
Walsall suffered a defeat at the hands of a very strong Redditch team. Almost from the kick off Walsall were put under intense pressure and only solid defending from Mitchell Clarke (St. John’s) and Dominic Deasey (St. Anne’s) kept Redditch at bay. However mid way through the half the pressure told as the home team went ahead from a long range shot against the run of play. Walsall equalised when a Joe Price (Blackwood) shot was spilled and Matthew Rooke (Woodlands) turned the follow up home. Redditch regained the lead just before half time when the ball was turned from an excellent in swinging corner. The opening minutes of the second half saw more home team dominance. During this time Redditch scored two more goals thank to their free flowing football. Walsall were indebted to goalkeeper Sam Arnold (Kings Hill) as he made a string of fine saves. Walsall, to their credit kept on battling and deserved their second consolation goal thanks to a fine run and cross from Ashley Southall (Millfield) which was coolly converted by Tom O'Sullivan (St. Anne’s). Late in the game Redditch added another to make the final score 5-2. (Report from Andy Mills)

Walsall Schools’ F.A. v Leeds SFA - 1.11.03
Three Walsall SFA teams played the touring Leeds SFA teams at Bentley Leisure Pavilion with Leeds coming out on top over the three games.

The stars of the show for Walsall were the under-11 A squad with a superb performance seeing them come out on top with a 2-1 victory. Leeds took the lead but Walsall equalised when a Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) 25-yard free kick found the top corner. Walsall keeper Sam Arnold (Kings Hill) came to the rescue with two good saves as Leeds piled on the pressure in a bid to regain the lead.  Walsall hit back when a superb ball from skipper Jamie Stanton (Chuckery) saw Tom O’Sullivan (St. Anne’s) set off on a run that ended with his shot shaving the far post. O’Sullivan broke away again and his shot was turned round for a corner from which Jacob Lamburn (Greenfield) fired Walsall in front. Only a good block prevented Matthew Rooke (Woodlands) increasing Walsall’s lead near the end.  

The B-side, short of match practice, found the going tough against a well-drilled Leeds side, losing 4-0. Walsall keeper Tom Morris (Watling Street) kept them in the game in the first half as a succession of good saves kept Leeds to a single goal. Ryan Harris (Leamore) ran half the length of the pitch but fired wide and Adam Winn (Leighswood) also went close for Walsall. Leo Arnold (Whetstone Field) rattled the crossbar in a second half dominated by Leeds.

The under-12 side playing in their first game held Leeds to 1-0 before two late goals resulted in an undeserved 3-0 deficit.

Walsall U-11 0 Luton U-11 2 - 25.10.03
Walsall under-11s were unlucky to lose to two late goals after a battling performance against a strong Luton side. Luton centre forward Jordan Patrick caused the Walsall defence real problems with his pace and Dominic Deasy (St. Anne’s) did just enough to prevent him giving Luton a half time lead. Walsall almost grabbed the lead themselves when Sam Lindsay (St. John’s) and Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) combined to set up Tom O’Sullivan (St. Anne’s) but a brave block prevented a goal. Walsall keeper Sam Arnold produced two splendid second half saves to keep Luton out. With Scott Jukes (St. John’s), Jake O’Brien (St. Patrick’s), Mitchell Clarke (St. John’s) and Ryan Harris (Leamore) also producing solid performances at the back, there seemed no way through for Luton. Then came the two-goal double blow with less than three minutes left. Walsall almost hit back when Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s) set up Roofe who blazed over.

Wolverhampton U-11 2 Walsall U-11 0 – West Midlands County Final of the ESFA/Sainsbury’s 7-a-side Cup - 18.10.03
Wolverhampton under-11s claimed the West Midlands 7-a-side championship in a classic final of two halves at Oak Meadow primary school. Walsall made full use of playing down the slope in the first half and Tom O’Sullivan (St. Anne’s) saw a powerful effort graze the bar. Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s) repeated the trick shortly afterwards before O’Sullivan blazed over again with another clear-cut chance. Wolves made Walsall pay dearly in the second half when Curtis Millett (St. Patrick’s) latched onto a Walsall clearance with a low 20-yard shot that took a deflection into the bottom corner. James Quarry (Holy Rosary) made the game safe for Wolves with a shot from the edge of the box.

Earlier in the group stages, Walsall beat Sutton Coldfield 2-0 with both goals scored by Jamie Stanton (Chuckery). Two goals from Tom O’Sullivan (St. Anne’s) and a third from Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) gave Walsall a 3-0 victory against Aston. With a semi-final spot secured Walsall rested players and lost 1-0 to Brierley Hill and Dudley. Sam Arnold (Kings Hill) made a good penalty save for Walsall. A close-fought semi-final saw Solihull take Walsall into golden goal extra time. O’Sullivan scored the match winning goal a minute into extra time.

Wolves were impressive in the group games winning all three. James Quarry (Holy Rosary) scored the goal in the 1-0 win against South Birmingham. Quarry scored again in the 2-1 win against Halesowen and Stourbridge. Alex Turner (Holy Rosary) was the other scorer. Turner scored 4 goals in a remarkable 6-1 victory against Solihull. Brooklyn Kirwan (St. Patrick’s) and Lee Butler (Collingwood) were the other scorers. Goals from Curtis Millett (St. Patrick’s) and Quarry secured a 2-0 victory over Aston in the semi-final.

Walsall U-11 3 Sutton Coldfield U-11 0 - 11.10.03
Walsall embarked upon their West Midlands campaign with their first win of the season. It was a match that Walsall totally dominated from the first whistle. In the early exchanges Sam Mitchinson (St Mary's) hit the bar from a long-range effort. Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) was then denied by a superb save from the Sutton goalkeeper after an incisive attack down the left wing. As the half drew to a close Roofe again was narrowly denied when a long-range lob hit the foot of the post with the keeper scrambling to get back. The second half totally belonged to Walsall and they opened the scoring after a neat interchange of passes between Roofe and Sam Lindsay (St John's) set up Jamie Stanton (Chuckery) to side foot home from the edge of the area. The goal then forced Sutton to open up and they forced a succession of corners that Walsall defended stoutly. It was from a Sutton corner that resulted in a swift Walsall break involving Jake O'Brien (St. Patrick's) and Sam Mitchinson which eventually led to Roofe coolly finishing to put Walsall two up. Walsall made it three late in the game when Matthew Rooke (Woodlands) guided the ball home from close range. A good result for Walsall from a very convincing performance. (Report from Andy Mills)

Gloucester U-11A 1 Walsall U-11A 0 - 4.10.03
Walsall fell to their third consecutive defeat of the season at Gloucester. However the result did not reflect the balance of play, which was almost totally dominated by Walsall. The first half got off to a scrappy start as both teams took a while to settle down. Walsall were the first team to make inroads when an Adam Wynn (Leighswood) free kick was unluckily deflected narrowly over the bar. From the resulting corner a Sam Lindsay (St Johns) volley was blocked on the line. As the half wore on Gloucester came into the match and an effort was cleared off the line by Mitchell Clarke (St John's). Gloucester took the lead just before the interval with a powerful shot from the edge of the area. The second half saw almost constant Walsall pressure although Gloucester always looked threatening on the break. Walsall went close several times with Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) twice shooting just wide from distance. Sam Lindsay had a thunderous effort well saved and Tom O'Sullivan (St. Anne’s) headed just wide from six yards out. With time running out a shot on the turn from George Crowe (New Invention) brought a good save from the Gloucester keeper. Finally though it was to be Gloucester's resolute defence that held firm to the final whistle of a highly entertaining game. (Report from Andy Mills)

Walsall U-11A 1 St. Helens U-11A 2 - 20.09.03
Walsall under-11A’s second friendly match of the season saw the visit of St. Helens.
A closely fought first half saw little in goalmouth action. The visitors however did hit the bar from a speculative long-range effort in the opening minutes. As the half came to a close the St. Helens keeper pulled off a fine double save to deny Kemar Roofe (Chuckery) and then Ashley Southall (Millfield).
Walsall started the second half brightly with a solo run by Sam Mitchinson (St. Mary’s), which was halted by a desperate, last-ditch tackle. Moments later Walsall took a deserved lead when a long-range effort from Jamie Stanton (Chuckery) created confusion in the goalmouth where Southall was on hand to tap in from close range. Walsall then had chances to extend their lead, Roofe unluckily hitting the bar after a slick passing move. Unfortunately St. Helens then twice hit Walsall on the break to win the game. A defeat for Walsall but nonetheless an encouraging performance. (Report from Andy Mills)

Walsall U-11A 3 Wirral U-11A 7 - 13.09.03
Walsall entertained their Wirral counterparts in two annual challenge matches. The two home teams were playing their first competitive games of the season, with the squads being sorted out at a later date. Three first half goals from Max Power, Stephen Simpson and Kyle Dickinson enabled Wirral to take a comfortable lead into the break. When Liam Benton added a fourth, Walsall looked dead and buried. Adam Winn's (Leighswood) direct free kick gave them a glimmer of hope that was quickly extinguished when James Woods put the visitors 5-1 ahead. Matthew Rooke’s (Woodlands) bullet header finished good left flank play by Jamie Stanton (Chuckery). That was followed minutes later by Winn's second as Walsall reduced the arrears to two goals. Walsall were punished towards the end as the Wirral forwards Woods and Power raced half the length of the pitch to score easily against a tired Walsall defence. (Report from Bill Law)