Nothing will stop Walsall's Dean Smith smile

But getting bogged down in the negatives has never been the Dean Smith way.

If anything, the Walsall boss seemed more enthusiastic, more bubbly than ever as he sat down to discuss tomorrow's game with Fleetwood and the final three weeks of the season.

The statistics might suggest a team on the slide but Smith has seen signs of an upturn in the past two games which he believes suggest brighter times to come.

"We have everyone fit with six games to go," he said. "I am really looking forward to it, to be honest. "I was really pleased with the performances in the past two games – the only thing missing was goals.

"But I watched Swindon in their last two games on TV and they were beaten 3-0 in both games with the likes of Williams and Smith on the pitch.

"They were really unlucky because Bristol City's keeper has made some great saves to keep them in it. Sometimes that is football and if you keep creating chances you are going to score goals."

No-one can deny the Saddlers have created chances in recent games but the goals of which Smith speaks are yet to arrive.

Nearly six-and-a-half hours of football have been played since Ashley Grimes headed home in the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United last month.

With a terribly-disappointing defeat at Wembley having followed, it understandably feels like an age ago and – until Smith's team end the drought, – their worries at the wrong half of the table are likely to remain. The players, he insists, remain confident.

"You only have to look at the performances in the past two games," he explains.

"I think the chairman was at the game on Monday at Peterborough and came down to see me after. He was really pleased with the attitude and application of the players.

"He felt we were unfortunate because we again dominated the game against teams pushing for the play-offs.

"The goal situation – it happens. Just look at Swindon in the last two games against MK Dons and Bristol City.

"They have had some chances and not scored and that is with players like Williams and Smith who they have had to pay big money for."

With eight of the nine teams below them in the table all playing each other, tomorrow would appear the ideal time for the Saddlers to end the drought and secure what would be only their second home win since the turn of the year.

"Every game is an opportunity and Fleetwood at home is an opportunity for us," says Smith.

"They will come with their tails up having just had a good result against Yeovil winning 4-0 and they are pushing for the play-offs. Graham (Alexander) has done really, really well with them.

"They have invested wisely and come up through the leagues in a short space of time and are building a club really and a history.

"It is going to be a tough game for us but I think we were the first team to beat them at their place earlier in the season.

"We played ever so well on the day and have to do that again."

He went on: "It has been a bad run of results. Some of our performances have not been to our liking.

"The last three home games have been superb – MK Dons, Sheffield United and Notts County.

"How we have not won one of them, I don't know. But that will come if we keep putting in the same performances."