Squad
Tom Billingham, Ritchie Dean, Martin Robinson (Aldridge); Chris Maxwell,
Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon); Neil Reeves
(Brownhills); William Poulton (Frank F. Harrison); Daryl Bird, Ben Young (Pool Hayes); Andrew Bough,
Carl Secker, Wayne Moseley (Shelfield); David Conroy, Craig Marshall, Andrew Smart,
Daniel Swann (Streetly); Richard Joyce (Willenhall).
Press Reports
Walsall U-15 2 Coventry U-15 3 - 29.03.03
The under-15s lost their West Midlands semi-final after
leading 2-0. Danny Swann (Streetly) gave Walsall the perfect start when he
slotted home a left wing cross in the second minute. Richard Joyce (Willenhall)
set up Craig Marshall (Streetly) for a tenth minute header, as Walsall seemed to
be cruising to victory. Coventry pulled a goal back but Walsall missed some good
chances before the break. Coventry shocked Walsall with two goals in a minute
with less than fifteen minutes left. Walsall still created chances and in the
last minute a shot was headed off the line and another effort struck a post.
Cannock U-15 4 Walsall U-15 2
- 22.03.03
A run of four successive victories for Walsall under-15s came
to an end at Cannock in the Staffordshire Leckie Shield. Cannock took the lead
ten minutes from the break following a goalmouth scramble. Chris Maxwell (Barr
Beacon) equalised in the final minute of the half but Cannock regained the lead
before the whistle. Walsall had three or four good chances after the break
before Cannock increased the lead. A fourth goal put Walsall out of the running
before Andy Bough (Shelfield) scored Walsall’s second. Walsall will hope to
return to winning ways in next weekend’s big West Midlands semi-final against
Coventry.
Walsall U-15 4 Burton-on-Trent U-15 3 - 8.03.03
Walsall under-15s came out on top in a Staffordshire thriller against
Burton. Chris Maxwell (Barr Beacon) gave Walsall the lead midway through the
first half but Burton hit back with two goals before the break. Richard Joyce
(Willenhall) put Walsall back on level terms two minutes into the second half
but Burton found the net again. Maxwell came to Walsall’s rescue with two
goals in the last ten minutes to complete a match winning hat trick.
Stoke-on-Trent U-15 1 Walsall U-15 4 - 1.03.03
The under-15s also secured a West Midlands semi-final spot
with their fourth consecutive victory. Walsall could easily have been 2-0 up
after two minutes but were denied by a good save and then the woodwork. Danny
Swann (Streetly) gave Walsall a deserved lead when he flicked a corner kick past
the keeper. Stoke hit back with an equaliser before half-time. Craig Marshall
(Streetly) restored Walsall’s lead when he got on the end of a Chris Maxwell
(Barr Beacon) cross. Maxwell then scored himself with a shot across the goal.
Marshall wrapped things up with his second following an excellent move.
Walsall U-15 1 West Bromwich U-15 0 - 18.02.03
Walsall under-15s continued their push for a West Midlands semi-final spot
with this victory against West Bromwich. Walsall dominated the attacking play
and should have won more easily. Inside the first minute Craig Marshall
(Streetly) found space down the left and crossed only for Chris Maxwell (Barr
Beacon) to shoot wide. Both players went close again before Richard Joyce
(Willenhall) and Carl Secker (Shelfield) were both denied by good saves.
Walsall’s pressure was rewarded when Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) found the net
from a free kick. The second half followed a similar pattern and on another day
Andy Bough (Shelfield) would have claimed a hat-trick. Joyce saw a goal bound
header somehow blocked on the line as Walsall tried in vain to make the game
safe, but keeper Andy Smart (Streetly) was rarely troubled.
Walsall U-15 3 Brierley Hill and Dudley U-15 0 - 8.02.03
The under-15s kept up their push for a West Midlands
semi-final spot with a good performance against Brierley Hill and Dudley. They
were helped on the way in the second minute when the keeper fumbled Ben
Young’s (Pool Hayes) shot. The keeper then made amends with a good save from
Andy Bough (Shelfield). Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) hit the woodwork as the
visitors held on before the break. Two minutes into the second half Bough set up
Carl Secker (Shelfield) for the second goal. A minute later Martin Robinson
(Aldridge) got on the end of a Neil Reeves (Brownhills) cross.
Cannock U-15 1 Walsall U-15 0 - 23.11.02
The Walsall under-15s West Midlands game at Cannock was the only fixture to
survive the weather and Walsall ended up wishing it had been postponed. Walsall
dominated the game after an evenly fought first fifteen minutes but Cannock took
a surprise first half lead after Tariq Rahman hit a shot through a crowd of
players following a corner. Walsall then did everything but score with skipper
Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) driving the team on.
Wolverhampton U-15 1 Walsall U-15 0 (ESFA/Wizards Trophy
Round 3) - 16.11.02
Walsall under-15s crashed out of the ESFA/Wizards Trophy against big rivals
Wolverhampton. The vital goal came five minutes before half time as Walsall
struggled to find any form against a determined Wolves side. Walsall played
second fiddle all through the game and created few real scoring chances.
Walsall’s best effort came from Ritchie Dean (Aldridge) but his effort was
well saved. Walsall keeper Andy Smart (Streetly) played his part in keeping the
score down but despite the good efforts of Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) and
William Poulton (Frank F. Harrison) Walsall slipped to a disappointing defeat.
Walsall U-15 6 Telford U-15 4 - 2.11.02
Full report from Geoff Seal
Walsall found themselves 3-0 behind
after twenty minutes due to some quite awful defending in this West Midlands
game. After the Telford keeper made a good early save from Chris Maxwell (Barr
Beacon) Telford went in front when Walsall allowed a corner to drop inside the
six yard box and a Telford player scored with ease. It soon became two when a
clearance struck a Walsall defender and rebounded into the net. A good shot from
Walsall’s Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) struck the post before Telford scored
again. A corner in to the near post was headed into his own net by a Walsall
defender.
Maxwell then gave Walsall hope with a well-taken goal from Poole’s through
ball. Another howler in defence enabled Telford to open a three-goal lead again.
It soon became Telford’s turn to make a defensive mistake when the keeper
dropped a long-range shot and Poole was on hand to bundle the ball over the
line.
Walsall made some positional changes for the second half and came back into the
game when Andy Bough (Shelfield) scored with a good left foot shot from the edge
of the box.
Maxwell then
scored his second to level matters. Walsall were now well on top and it came as
no surprise when Richard Joyce (Willenhall) scored to give them the lead. Joyce
scored again with a sharp left foot finish as Walsall finished comfortable
winners.
Walsall U-15 2 Wolverhampton U-15 3 - 26.10.02
In the under-15 game Walsall slipped to a first defeat of the
season and Wolves gained revenge for a 6-1 drubbing three weeks ago. Wolves held
a slender 1-0 lead at half time and Walsall’s Richard Joyce (Willenhall) had
seen a shot cleared off the line. Craig Marshall (Streetly) almost celebrated
his return to the squad with a goal after the break but saw his shot cleared off
the line. Walsall finally equalised through Chris Maxwell (Barr Beacon) but
Wolves hit back with two goals in five minutes. The second of the goals came
after Andy Smart (Streetly) saved and the rebound was put away. Marshall finally
got on the score sheet with five minutes left but Wolves held on.
Erdington and Saltley U-15 1 Walsall U-15 2
(ESFA/Wizards Trophy 2nd Round) - 12.10.02
It was fifteen minutes into this ESFA/Wizards trophy
game before either keeper was troubled. Walsall’s Chris Maxwell (Barr Beacon)
outpaced the home defence down the left and his shot was parried at the near
post only for Wayne Moseley (Shelfield) to see his follow up sail over. Walsall
keeper Andy Smart (Streetly) then found Maxwell who again used his pace to leave
the home defence standing and this time he made no mistake to slot the ball past
the advancing keeper. Walsall increased their lead before the break when a
terrific run by Richard Joyce (Pool Hayes) saw him shrug off a strong challenge
before he crossed the ball for Maxwell to turn it into the net. A minute later
Walsall should have been pegged back but the ball hit the outside of the post
and seconds before the break Smart came to the rescue with a brave save in a
scramble following a corner.
Walsall
started the second half strongly and skipper Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) blazed
just over from 20 yards. Joyce and Maxwell again combined well to cause panic in
the home defence and Maxwell’s shot was just off target. Martin Robinson
(Aldridge) saw a shot saved and Erdington and Saltley replied by scoring a soft
goal to leave Walsall with a nervous last ten minutes. In the last seconds the
game nearly went into extra time when a free kick was deflected but Smart
somehow still managed to block it.
Wolverhampton U-15 1 Walsall U-15 6 - 5.10.02
Full report from Geoff Seal
For the second season running Walsall
inflicted a five goal beating on their local rivals.
Walsall had the perfect start, when from the kick
off when Chris Maxwell (Barr Beacon) robbed the centre back and scored with a
good finish from the edge of the area, the ball going in off the post.
Walsall continued to dominate the first half and
it came as no great surprise when from Carl Secker’s (Blue Coat) excellent
through ball Maxwell used his pace to score again. Five minutes before half time
Andy Bough (Shelfield) latched onto a free kick and beat the keeper from ten
yards.
The second half started in similar vein as after
just five minutes Andy Bough scored again to give Walsall an unassailable lead.
With less than fifteen minutes to go Wolverhampton scored but within two minutes Chris
Maxwell completed his hat trick with a well-placed header. In the dying minutes
Walsall were awarded a penalty and after the keeper made a good save Brendan
Poole (Barr Beacon) followed in to complete the scoring. An excellent
performance in which all players made major contributions.
West Bromwich U-15 0 Walsall U-15 2 (ESFA Wizards Trophy
Round 1) - 28.09.02
Two
goals in the last five minutes of the first half were enough to see Walsall
through to the second round of the ESFA/Wizards trophy competition. The first
half an hour saw few real chances for either side but Walsall keeper Andy Smart
(Streetly) had to be alert to gather an Ahmet Bilgimer (Dartmouth) shot after
ten minutes. Walsall’s Ben Young (Pool Hayes) was denied in similar fashion by
Danny Woodhall (Alexander) before Chris Maxwell (Barr Beacon) was on hand to
score following a parried Michael Hollyhead (Barr Beacon) shot. Good play by
Brendan Poole (Barr Beacon) set up Richard Joyce (Pool Hayes) for Walsall’s
second on the stroke of half time. Great defensive work by Daniel Swan (Barr
Beacon) denied West Bromwich as the home side tried to find a way through in the
second half. Bilgimer saw a good header drift wide but Walsall held firm.
Walsall U-15 1 Halesowen and Stourbridge U-15 1
- 14.09.02
Walsall started very
well in this opening West Midlands game and after a good move down the left hand
side Andy Bough (Shelfield) scored from eight yards in the sixth minute. Walsall
then went to sleep for the next twenty minutes and but for a number of fine
saves from Andy Smart (Streetly) could have been out of the game. The deserved
equaliser for Halesowen and Stourbridge duly arrived in the twenty-sixth minute
when Richard Parkes scored from close range. This served to reawaken Walsall and
for the remainder of the first half and the whole of the second half they were
in control but failed to create the chances their possession merited.
Walsall
schools' football