GOALS either side of the break from Anthony Gerrard and sub Troy Deeney settled an entertaining local derby in the Saddlers' favour.
What was effectively a Baggies reserves side paid the price for failing to mark Steven Gerrard's cousin at a 26th-minute corner.
And Deeney completed the scoring five minutes from time with a clinical right-foot finish.
Gloves rivals Dean Kiely and Scott Carson both looked sharp as they were granted another chance to stake a claim for the goalkeeping jersey at Arsenal on Saturday week by playing a half each.
Graham Dorrans also impressed with a lively display at left midifield.
Shelton Martis made his first pre-season appearance on his comeback from a calf injury as first team coach Peter Grant took charge of proceedings, with Tony Mowbray watching from the stands.
Albion created their first half-chance inside the first minute.
David Worrall's right-wing cross found Dorrans in space just inside the box and the Scotland Under-21 international forced a smart save out of Clayton Ince with a first-time shot.
Walsall then failed to polish off two gilt-edged chances in quick succession.
Striker Jabo Ibehre shot wide from 18 yards after being played through by ex-Arsenal, Everton and Coventry midfielder Stephen Hughes.
A Jared Hodgkiss mistake presented Sofiene Zaaboub with a clear sight of goal when he failed to cushion an awkward hanging ball back to Kiely, but the Saddlers winger blazed over from 15 yards.
In the seventh minute, Kiely showed a safe pair of hands to clutch Ishmel Demontagnac's 20-yard drive low to his right.
Albion hit back with their own mini-spell of pressure.
Ince did well to hold onto Craig Beattie's downward header from a Worrall cross after neat build-up play by Pele.
Ex-Southampton player Pele was in the thick of it himself moments later when he planted a header straight at Ince from a Dorrans corner.
Walsall responded when wideman Alex Nicholls fired just wide of the far post from 20 yards, although Kiely had it covered.
Dorrans was enjoying a productive evening and he found Beattie in the box with an exquisite diagonal ball which the ex-Celtic striker headed into the ground and wide.
Tininho wasn't far away with an ambitious 25-yard shot before the action swung to the other end. Nicholls stung Kiely's hands after cutting inside from the right and unleashing a fierce right-footed drive.
After a brief lull in the action, Walsall broke the deadlock in the 26th minute.
Centre-half Gerrard rose highest to plant Zaaboub's flag-kick past the helpless KIely with a downward header.
Eight minutes later, Ibehre pounced on a loose header by Lee Baker and held off Tininho to race into the box and unleash a ferocious near-post drive which Kiely did well to turn away.
Albion almost levelled in the 37th minute following great wing-play by Dorrans, who left Chris Palmer for dead before picking out Worrall at the back-post.
The teenage midfielder rifled goalwards and only Ince's fine one-handed save low to his right kept the game at 1-0.
Dorrans was at it again moments later when he picked out Joss Labadie just inside the box and the young pro's goalbound prod was blocked by defender Stephen Roberts.
But Kiely had to come to Albion's rescue again in the 41st minute when Palmer exchanged a clever one-two with Ibehre before seeing a 20-yard pile-driver pushed away by the Ireland international.
Labadie was presented with a good chance to level four minutes after the break but directed a free header well wide from Dorrans' corner.
Carson, who had replaced Kiely at half-time, was called into action for the first time in the 55th minute when he did well to hold onto Nicholls' stinging 20-yard drive after the winger had drifted past Tininho.
Ince had to make a similarly smart save at the other end to prevent Beattie levelling with an acute drive.
Back came Walsall and Carson produced the save of the game so far to turn sub Marco Reich's 20-yard effort around his far post.
The goalmouth action continued in the 71st minute when Bartosz Slusarski jinked his way into the box before seeing a left-footed exocet brilliantly turned away by Ince,
Both keepers were being kept busy and Carson had to pull off an impressive, near-post, point-blank block to keep out sub Nick Chadwick's volley from Paul Boertien's centre.
But the England international could do nothing to prevent sub Deeney firing low into his bottom right-hand corner after being put through by Demontagnac.
WALSALL (4-4-2): Ince (Gilmartin 77); Palmer (Reich 51), Roberts (Ayre 65), Gerrard (Smith 51), Boertien (Sansara 80); Nicholls, Mattis, Hughes (Taundry 51), Zaaboub (Chadwick 65); Demontagnac, Ibehre (Deeney 65).
ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely (Carson HT); Hodgkiss, Martis (Elford-Alliyu 50), Baker, Tininho; Worrall, Labadie, Pele, Dorrans; Beattie, Slusarski (Saied 86). Subs not used: Pike, Knight, Martin.
GOALS: WALSALL - Gerrard (26), Deeney (85).
REFEREE: A Penn (West Midlands).
ATTENDANCE: 4113, (1,706 Albion fans).
ALBION STARMAN: Graham Dorrans.
PIC: LEFT-WING LIVEWIRE...Dorrans impressed at the Banks's Stadium
