Harambee Stars defender Vincent Harper opened his account for Walsall FC on Tuesday evening, scoring in their 3-2 pre-season defeat to English Championship side Derby County at the Bescot Stadium.
Harper, who recently joined the Saddlers after parting ways with Bradford City, gave a strong impression in just his second start in the pre-season, getting on the scoresheet with a well-taken header in the 11th minute.
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After a throw-in routine, Rico Browne whipped in a deep cross into the Derby box, where Harper timed his run perfectly and sent a looping header into the bottom right corner to hand Walsall an early lead.
Derby equalized in the 39th minute through Kayden Jackson, but Walsall regained their advantage moments before the break when loanee Jonny Stuttle spun his marker and smashed home his effort past Josh Vickers.
The second half, however, saw the visitors fight back. Corey Blackett-Taylor levelled the scores once again in the 62nd minute from the penalty spot before Charles Ebuka bundled home the winner in the 77th minute to hand Derby a comeback victory.
Despite the result, Harper’s performance was a standout. The Kenya international not only showed defensive discipline but also proved dangerous going forward, giving Walsall fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his addition to the squad ahead of the new League Two season.
The Saddlers had previously recorded wins over Leamington, Hereford, and Aston Villa’s U21s in their pre-season build-up and will now look to return to winning ways in their upcoming fixtures.
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