Walsall, the leaders of League Two, beat Eastleigh 3-0 in the First Round of the FA Cup, earning a spot in the second round.
Walsall secured a victory at Silverlake Stadium with a 3-0 win. Evan Weir opened the scoring in the sixth minute, followed by Daniel Kanu after halftime. Jamille Matt added a third goal late in the match.
Walsall will be ball number 40 in the FA Cup draw on Monday at 18:45 on TNT Sports. Head Coach Mat Sadler made three changes from the last league match, with Jid Okeke and Jamie Jellis on the bench and Lewis Warrington sidelined due to injury.
Eastleigh had several chances to equalise. Aden Flint’s clearance allowed Harvey Saunders to take a shot, which Myles Roberts saved. The following corner had another shot that hit the crossbar.
In the 20th minute, Saunders missed a chance to score by shooting wide. The Saddlers stayed strong, but Kieron Evans also failed to convert a curling shot.
After the 30-minute mark, Walsall gained control. Kanu shot wide after stealing the ball, and in the 38th minute, Eastleigh’s goalkeeper dropped a free kick from Weir, but no one reacted in time.
Just before halftime, Weir’s free kick from 25 yards went past the post.
Walsall scored in the 50th minute when Weir passed to Kanu, who finished with a powerful shot. Kanu almost scored again soon after with another shot that missed the post.
With 20 minutes left, Sadler made a double substitution, bringing on Jellis for Clarke and Matt for Aaron Pressley. Matt scored his first goal in over seven months, securing Walsall’s win.
Striker Daniel Kanu nets in @WFCOfficial win over Eastleigh in the first round of FA Cup
— Alie Bittar (@bittar32) November 3, 2025
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