Walsall secured their first EFL Trophy win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Fulham U21s at the Bescot Stadium on Tuesday. The result keeps their hopes of progressing from Southern Group B alive ahead of their final fixture.
Tai Sodje was the decisive figure, netting his first two goals for the club. He opened the scoring after 25 minutes, slotting home from a tight angle after a pass from Courtney Clarke. Sodje doubled the lead just five minutes later, deflecting a Logan Cooke clearance over the line. James Furlong then added a spectacular third from distance just before half-time, putting Walsall in a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
Fulham U21s fought back in the second half. Swedish-Ghanaian forward Jonah Kusi-Asare pulled one back in the 54th minute before Dan Casey scored a second for the visitors in the 71st minute. Walsall goalkeeper Tom Wooster made several important saves late on to preserve the three points.
Manager Lee Grant made 11 changes for the match, handing a first senior start to first-year scholar Ryan Sjoerdsma. The win lifts Walsall to third in the group table. They now sit sixth in League Two with 15 points from nine games, and their next match is away to Swindon Town on Saturday.
The original report is at Express and Star
