Middlesbrough Under-21s crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Walsall in the Checkatrade Trophy despite the presence of Andy Lonergan, Lewis Wing and Harry Chapman in their starting line-up.
Lonergan was forced into an early save from Kieran Morris, but Walsall’s bright start was rewarded when they claimed the lead midway through the first half, with Jack Fitzwater volleying home from the edge of the box.
Wing fired wide as Boro tried to recover, but Walsall doubled their lead shortly after the half-hour mark. Luke Leahy whipped in a dangerous free-kick, and Maz Kouhyar applied the finishing touch.
Chapman fired narrowly over at the start of the second half, and Boro clawed a goal back as Dan Ward fired home from inside the area.
However, any hopes of a comeback were killed off with two minutes as Andy Cook fired home a long-range finish.
Middlesbrough Under-21s: Lonergan, Dodds, Hood, Stubbs, D Spence, Malley, Ward, Liddle, Wing, Chapman (K Spence 61), O’Neill.
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