Express & Star

Pre-season: Walsall 2 Ajax 0 - Report and pictures

A brace from Andy Cook inspired Walsall to a 2-0 friendly victory against Dutch giants Ajax at the Banks’s Stadium.

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The striker netted in each half to sink the European heavyweights who next week will take part in the second qualifying round in the Champions League.

In what was comfortably Walsall’s best performance of pre-season so far, a host of players impressed for Dean Keates’ side.

But it was Cook who stole the show on a night that saw Keates spring a surprise by naming five trialists in the match day squad.

Three – all defenders – were included in the starting XI with two mystery centre-backs lining up in alongside Tom Brewitt who shifted to right back after playing centrally in the friendly against Villa.

It meant Luke Leahy was the only experienced defender in the back four with Liam Kinsella given a chance to impress in midfield and Cook and Ama Bakayoko up front.

Ajax – who had played Wolves earlier in the day – stuck to their promise of holding back some first team stars with Kasper Dolberg joined by former Newcastle man Siem de Jong in attack.

Such was the prestige surrounding the friendly, half-and-half scarfs featuring the names of Walsall and the Dutch giants were on sale outside the ground.

And the match lived up to its billing with both teams coming close to opening the scoring inside the first 10 minutes.

First, Bakayoko was just inches away from connecting with a dangerous Kieron Morris cross.

Then at the other end, de Jong rattled the crossbar with a free-kick from 20-yards after Dolberg had been fouled.

While Ajax looked good on the ball, Keates’ side were performing better than they had in the friendlies against Stoke and Villa.

And they created two glorious opportunities to break the deadlock.

The first arrived when keeper Kostas Lamprou failed to connect with a Leahy free-kick but neither of the trialist centre-backs were able to nod the ball into an empty net.

Then another excellent Leahy delivery was met by Zeli Ismail who side-footed over from six-yards when he should have scored.

On the half-hour though the Saddlers did get themselves in front with Cook powering in a brilliant header following a cross from Brewitt.

Walsall made seven changes at the break which included one trialist centre-back replacing another.

Ajax saw a lot of the ball at the start of the second half as Keates’ side adjusted to the changes.

But the Saddlers almost doubled their lead when Jordon Sangha hit a low drive from 20-yards which Lamprou spilled but then collected ahead of Dylan Parker.

In the 70th minute though Walsall did get a second with Cook collecting Maz Kouhyar’s cross in the box before firing in a snap-shot from 12-yards that beat Lamprou.

Ajax had their chances in the closing stages with Dennis Johnsen forcing Liam Roberts into an excellent one handed stop.

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp then rattled the bar with a fierce strike from 20-yards. But Walsall held on for an excellent victory.

Walsall: Dunn (Roberts 46), Leahy (Cockerill-Mollett 46), Trialist (Trialist 46), Trialist (Leivesley 83), Brewitt (Sangha 60), Morris (Kouhyar 46), Chambers (Dobson 46), Kinsella (Devlin 46), Ismail (Parker 46), Cook (Candlin 77), Bakayoko (Trialist 27).

Ajax: Lamprou, Orejuela (Bakboord 80), Schuurs, Botman (Jensen 60), Bakker, Ekkelenkamp, Johnsen, Gravenberch, Dolberg, Jong (de Wit 46), Labyad (Sierhuis 60).

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 2,449