WALSALL were left poised on the trap door to League Two after a brave battle against powerful opposition at the Banks’s Stadium yielded only a point which may prove insufficient to save them from relegation.
How unfortunate that their remaining three games are also against teams who have played in the Premier League, but whatever the outcome, young manager Dean Smith deserves great credit for his achievements in what looked mission impossible when he took over in January.
And after the hard-fought draw with Gary Megson’s Sheffield Wednesday, Smith declared: “It’s tight down there but the lads still have belief in the dressing room.’’
Smith has been in charge for 22 games – six wins, nine draws and seven defeats – which have brought in 27 points.
His failed predecessor Chris Hutchings was axed after 21 league games resulted in five wins, two draws and 14 defeats – just 17 points.
Many fans will always insist that, if the former youth team coach had been given the job earlier, there would have been no fear of the drop.
Certainly many of the performances with Smith at the helm have been a huge improvement on what went before.
And if the worst happens and the Saddlers are relegated, there will be reason to hope he can build a side capable of avoiding any further embarrassment next season.
After the draw with a strong Wednesday side, Smith said: “We played some good football, and that was the pleasing part. The fans turned up in numbers and got behind us and they could see the lads were putting in the effort, although our final ball at times was disappointing.
“Wednesday have some good players and a wage bill that would gulf ours, and Gary Megson won’t let them lie down.”
Walsall made a determined start to the match, forcing several corners, and Andy Butler had a header cleared off the line before they took the lead in the tenth minute.
Julian Gray’s cross bounced off Richard Taundry into the path of Jon Macken who thumped home his ninth goal of the season. But when Jimmy Walker – who had a fine game – could only block a fierce drive from Lewis Buxton in the 26th minute, Neil Mellor was on the spot to poke in his 18th of the campaign.
Both sides had chances to win it in a lively second half, but a draw was right, which meant Megson is still looking for his first win at Walsall in six visits as a manager with Albion, Blackpool and Nottingham Forest.
WALSALL (4-4-2): Walker 7; Westlake 6 (Byfield 75, 5), Lancashire 7, Butler 7, Williams 7; Taundry 6, Laird 7, Richards 6, Gray 6; H MACKEN 8, Cook 7 (Nicholls, 85). Subs: Bevan, Smith, Paterson, Gbarssin, Grigg.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-4-2): O’Donnell; Otsemobor, Batth, R Jones (R Johnson, 80), Buxton; Coke (J Johnson, ht), O’Connor, Miller, Teale; Madine, Mellor. Subs: Weaver, Sedgwick, Potter, Morrison. D Jones.
Referee: S Hooper (Wiltshire).
