Related Articles
Walsall manager Mat Sadler is confident his side can take the momentum of a final day victory over Crewe into the League Two play-offs.
Walsall’s Mat Sadler remains optimistic, believing that a final day win at Crewe can inspire their League Two play-off push against Chesterfield.
A second-half strike from George Hall spurred the Saddlers and their substantial turnout of fans to dream of League One as they momentarily occupied a direct promotion slot at Gresty Road.
However, Bradford’s last-gasp decider versus Fleetwood meant Walsall now face a tougher journey through the play-offs to reach the third tier.
Despite this setback, former Birmingham City defender Sadler dwelled on their improved performance which culminated in a long-awaited victory, their first since besting Morecambe on February 22.
After leading the division by 12 points at one stage, Walsall succumbed to a streak of eight draws amid a 13-game run without a win.
Reflecting on the day’s outcomes, Sadler admitted, “It was disappointing we didn’t see the job out today. We did what we had to do, but you knew that Bradford would be throwing the kitchen sink at it over there.
“I thought we played really well and we showed real resilience and calmness in the situation.
“We showed control in difficult circumstances and that was a real positive. Now we have to take that and take the momentum from winning the game into two tough play-off games.
“At the start of the season we’d have taken being in the play-offs, but that’s not the situation we found ourselves in. Now we have to be positive again and our mentality is always to be fighters and we’ve seen that today.
“Chesterfield are a good team and it is no surprise they’ve got into the play-offs. We’ve had two good games with them and now we need to be ready to lock horns with them again.”
Crewe’s season ended on a low note, suffering five losses in their last six matches.
They concluded the campaign in 13th place, after being in contention for a play-off spot until recently.
Crewe’s manager, Lee Bell, said: “We made some changes and we did things the way we’re looking for next season.
“We created opportunities and it was good to see players like Fin (Roberts) out there as they will feature more next season.
“Next season starts tomorrow and it is important that we do that as where we’ve finished is not good enough. It is a major disappointment.
“I’ve had a good discussion with the chairman and the directors and we need to look at how we can move forward.
“We’ll look at what we’ve got budget-wise and see what we can do.
“Today I feel for Walsall as Mat Sadler is an excellent fellow and they have excellent players.”
Source link
