A youthful Ajax side were beaten 2-0 in their second game at the Banks’s Stadium of the day by Walsall.

Erik Ten Hag fielded a side with an average age of just 20.9, with most of the players likely to represent Jong Ajax next season.

Siem de Jong and Zakaria Labyad offered some experience to a very youthful side, with Kasper Dolberg leading the line.

Ajax started strong, with de Jong bringing the visitors close just 10 minutes in as his curling free-kick was just too high, smashing against the crossbar.

But Walsall found their way into the game and started to control it. Zeil Ismail came close on two occasions but fired both of his efforts over the crossbar.

The home side eventually found a breakthrough, a great run down the right that caught Ajax out on the counter attack led to a ball into the box being nodded home superbly by Andy Cook.

The young defence had struggled on the counter attack earlier in the game against the counter attack and they finally paid for this.

Walsall continued to commit a lot of men behind the ball, making life difficult for the Ajax attackers.

The star of the half for the visitors was Ryan Gravenberch. The 16-year-old midfielder continuously found openings in the Walsall defence.

He almost claimed an assist just before the break, making an excellent run down the left hand side before picking out de Jong in the box. But de Jong couldn’t control the ball and the attack was ended.

Ajax took control of the game early in the second half, with Dolberg having a great header cleared off the line from a Labyad corner.

Despite the Ajax pressure, it was Walsall who would find the second goal of the game.

It was another counter down the right hand side that would catch Ajax out, with good ball in being volleyed home by Andy Cook for his second of the game.

Ajax would certainly rue missing some great chances earlier in the game and would be frustrated by the Walsall defence.

Kaj Sierhuis came close to pulling one back for the visitors but his curling effort was clawed away by the outstretched hand of Chris Dunn.

Attentions now turn to Ajax’s Champions League game with Sturm Graz, with the first leg being played on Wednesday.