Notts County 3 Walsall 2 - Report and pictures

Goals from Haydn Hollis, Jonathan Forte and Jon Stead saw John Sheridan's side race into a three-goal lead at Meadow Lane.

Bakayoko grabbed two goals in the second half to take his tally in pre-season to five.

But it wasn't enough for Jon Whitney's side who now host Luton on Saturday in their final friendly before the competitive action gets underway.

With less than a fortnight until the start of the new season, Whitney named a strong side that is likely to be similar to the one that faces AFC Wimbledon on August 6.

It meant Franck Moussa and Simeon Jackson made their second appearance in Saddlers colours, while Rico Henry and Florent Cuvelier were resorted from Saturday's friendly against Derby.

For Sheridan's Magpies, former Blackburn striker Stead started up front.

It was the Saddlers who created the game's first clear opening with Moussa lofting a wonderful through ball to send Jackson galloping in on goal.

With Adam Collin rushing out to meet him, the striker looked to lift the ball over the goalkeeper but his delicate effort nestled on the roof of the net.

Whitney's side looked to have settled well, but within a blink of an eye, they were two goals down.

Walsall: Etheridge, Edwards (Kinsella 75), McCarthy, O'Connor (Roberts 75), Henry, Chambers (Dobson 66), Cuvelier (Osbourne 66), Morris, Moussa (Bakayko 46), Kouhyar (Shorrock 75), Jackson (Sangha 66).

Subs not used: McGillivray, Butterfield, Cockerill-Mollett, Oztumer, Preston.

First, Carl Dickinson's pin-point free-kick found Hollis at the back post with the defender escaping his marker to tap in from close range.

Then, within a minute, Forte capitalised when Jason McCarthy misjudged the flight of a long ball with the forward racing in and unopposed before firing past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

The goals sparked Whitney's side into life, with the Saddlers then enjoying a lot of possession around the Notts County box.

But, as the clock ticked towards the half hour mark, two long-distance efforts from Moussa were the closest they came to getting back in the game.

County almost extended their lead further in the 37th minute, when Alex Rodman expertly brought down a hopeful ball into the box before lashing over.

Moments before the break, though, Walsall should have pulled a goal back when Kieron Morris' through-ball put Jackson in one-on-one.

Having sprung the offside trap, the striker simply had to place the ball past the keeper but his effort was too close to Collin who palmed it away.

Whitney, replaced Moussa with Bakayoko at the interval. But the start of the second half very much had a pre-season fee.

Neither side created a chance of note until County made it 3-0 in the 66th minute – with Stead latching on to a through-ball and calmly dinking the ball over Etheridge.

Whitney responded by switching George Dobson, Isaiah Osbourne and Jordan Sangha for Adam Chambers, Cuvelier and Jackson.

The move proved to be a positive one with the Saddlers immediately pulling a goal back, when Bakayoko deftly headed a deep Dobson cross into the corner.

With five minutes remaining, the striker grabbed his second. Rico Henry did wonderfully well to trick his way past a defender and deliver a cross.

It was palmed away by goalkeeper Scott Loach, but the ball fell to Bakayoko who then fired home.

Walsall then went in search of a leveller in the remaining minutes, but County held on to claim the victory.