Bryan and Hartley strike to win friendly fixture
Walsall 0 United 2
Tuesday 20th October, Friendly
On Tuesday, United travelled to Walsall to play a friendly mainly designed to give some of the first-years scholars game time. With confidence riding high, goals from Graham Bryan and Joe Hartley earned United another win.
Andy Whing takes up the story:
“This was another good performance from the team. It was a fairly low-tempo first half, with Walsall dropping in and leaving one up top, so we had to work hard to break them down on a narrow pitch, which meant the full backs couldn’t really get up the field.
“We limited them to very few opportunities and I can’t recall Manny making any saves all game. We had a few shots but didn’t really work their goalkeeper in the first half. At the break we again told the boys to carry on what they were doing and to be patient.
“In the first ten minutes of the second half Walsall upped the tempo but never threatened and after that it was all us again and our midfield came into it more.
“Our first goal came when Jordan Graham played the ball to Graham Bryan, who slotted it under the keeper. The second came from a good cross and Joe Hartley attacked the ball really well to head home and secure a well-deserved win.
“That was a good lesson for the boys; we didn’t force things and the goals came. It was a real positive to get a clean sheet and good to see the younger lads in a game environment. Overall, it was a really positive exercise.
United: Agboola, Hawtin, Carroll, Diaz-Benitez, Tuttle, Hartley, Baptiste, (Humphries), L Graham, Bryan, Napa, Hastings (J Graham)