'New faces, youth and strikers' - 5 things we learned from Walsall's pre-season opener

All four goals came in the second half, as Charlie Wragg netted a quickfire brace, before Aaron Pressley and Josh Gordon completed the scoring. 

Here are the main talking points from their pre-season opener.

Strikers among the goals 

Nobody will be getting carried away by performances in pre-season but it does bode well that the strikers got off the mark early doors. 

Wragg had his moment in the limelight - scoring his first two goals for the club with a pair of clinical close-range finishes early in the second half. 

Levi Amantchi also played his part by setting up Wragg's second and came inches away from getting on the scoresheet himself. 

His replacement Pressley eventually did with a stunning header into the far corner and Josh Gordon added a fourth late on to confirm a comfortable win.

Non-league talent offer promise 

Harrison Burke looked very promising during his first half showing. The centre-back demonstrated his propensity to attack and also showcased his excellent passing range with a number of cross-field switches. 

It was also interesting to see how his relationship with Courtney Clarke develops during pre-season. Clarke had a couple of exciting moments and clearly likes to take his marker on. 

There was one instance in particular where Clarke surged inside, beating three or four Leamington players, before recycling the ball out to the left.

Watford loanee Myles Roberts acquitted himself well between the sticks without necessarily being troubled and Sam Hornby also went untested after the break. 

New faces 

Aside from those plucked off the non-league market, Sadler also handed debuts to the likes of Vincent Harper, Mason Hancock and Jonny Stuttle. 

Stuttle partnered Jamille Matt for the first 35 minutes but struggled to really get into the game. He used his body cleverly on a couple of occasions and kept the Leamington centre-backs busy, but he perhaps would've had more joy against tiring legs in the second half.

Harper got through some good work at left wing-back and his replacement Mason Hancock was the standout performer on the night. 

He looks an adept deliverer of the ball and played a key role in the opener after keeping the ball in play and squaring for Wragg to score from close-range. 

Youth brigade

Wragg stole the headlines among the cohort of youngsters, but it was a big evening for the academy in general, and Sadler was keen to stress that afterwards. 

Thomas set-up the Saddlers' third goal, while Stan Straw, McLloyd Oben and Paul Makavore were also introduced in the second half.

Ronan Maher also played the entire second period as he looks to force his way into Sadler's first team plans this season. 

Trialists 

Walsall also had three trialists on show although Sadler was unwilling to go on record about those involved. 

However, the positions of the trialists suggest where Sadler is looking to bolster, as the Walsall boss scanned his eye over two centre-backs and a holding midfielder.