Express & Star

Walsall 0 Aston Villa 0 - Report and pictures

Neither team could make the breakthrough as Walsall and Villa played out a goal-less pre-season draw.

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Amadou Bakayoko missed the best chance of the game for the Saddlers when he shot wide of the post when through on goal.

Jordan Amavi came closest to scoring for the visitors, meanwhile, with a header which home keeper Mark Gillespie palmed wide.

Villa probably had more chances over the 90 minutes but lacked a cutting edge and have now failed to score from open play in two pre-season games against League One opposition.

Saddlers boss Jon Whitney will have taken more encouragement after an organised performance and an impressive showing from a new-look back four, which included latest signing James Wilson.

Villa’s team featured free-agent Chris Samba alongside skipper John Terry at the back, giving the visitors centre-back partnership a combined age of 69. Gabriel Agbonlahor started up front, while one-time Walsall loanee Sam Johnstone was in goal.

It was Agbonlahor and Villa who were first to threaten, the striker firing narrowly over the bar from just inside the box after a powerful 40-yard run from Andre Green had left the Saddlers defence furiously back-pedalling.

Jordan Amavi then brought the first save of the game from home keeper Mark Gillespie, who somewhat unconvincingly palmed the wideman’s header round the post.

It was entertaining fare and far from one way traffic either, with Erhun Oztumer lashing a shot wide from around 20 yards out.

Both teams then squandered good chances to break the deadlock in quick succession.

First, Birkir Bjarnason forced an effort wide of goal when arriving late at the far post to meet a cross delivered by the ever-willing Green.

Walsall’s chance was even better, as a clever through ball from skipper Adam Chambers released Amadou Bakayoko into the box. The striker had only Johnstone to beat but pulled his left-footed shot wide of the post.

Bjarnason has endured something of a stop-start Villa career to this point but was heavily involved here and finding plenty of space in the box. Another header was sent wide of the target, before the Iceland international sent a shot straight at Gillespie after good work by Agbonlahor.

Samba, meanwhile, made a key intervention at the other end when he stuck out a leg to block Oztumer’s cross and deny Bakayoko a likely tap-in.

Villa eventually did get the ball in the net shortly before half-time when Terry headed home a Conor Hourihane corner but referee Oliver Langford had already blown for an infringement.

Just as in the first period it was Villa who began the second half stronger. A Green cross from the right almost found its way through to a crowd to Agbonlahor, before Lansbury saw a drive deflected wide and Amavi volleyed over from the resulting corner.

Whitney waited until the hour mark before making his first changes, with Reece Flanagan and Simeon Jackson introduced off the bench. The latter was quickly into the action, seeing a shot blocked by Samba, who was also on hand to deflect an Edwards drive over the bar soon after.

The raft of substitutions in the final quarter inevitably disrupted the game with the Saddlers losing a little of their forward drive following the withdrawal of Oztumer with 13 minutes to go.

Bruce introduced both Scott Hogan and Ross McCormack but neither was able to deliver the attacking edge which remains elusive to Villa during the past two pre-season games.

Teams:

Walsall (4-2-3-1) Gillespie, Devlin (Kinsella 68), Wilson (Preston 68), Guthrie (Roberts K 83), Leahy, Cuvelier (Flanagan 60), Chambers © (Sangha 83), Morris (Kouhyar 68), Oztumer (Peters 77), Edwards, Bakayoko (Jackson 60) Subs not used: Roberts L (gk).

Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone, Bree, Terry © (Chester 69), Samba, Taylor (McCormack 81), Lansbury, Green (Davis 87), Hourihane (Hayes 69), Bjarnason (Lyden 77), Amavi, Agbonlahor (Hogan 69) Subs not used: Richards,, Veretout, Hutton, Tshibola, Clark, Bunn (gk).