Dean Smith: This is 'enormous' for Walsall
Manager Dean Smith has described tonight's Johnstone's Paint Trophy area final first leg away to Preston as an "enormous" moment in Walsall's history.
The Saddlers are one of just four current league teams never to have played at Wembley – along with Hartlepool, Crawley and Accrington Stanley – but can take a step towards changing that when they travel to Deepdale this evening.
Manager Smith knows exactly what is at stake, saying: "For the history of the football club it is enormous.
"I think it has been well documented there are only four clubs who have not been to Wembley.
"It would be ideal for the history and enormous for the club to get there. It has been hard to get to where we are now and it will be hard to go that final step.
"But we believe in the group of players we have got and we believe they can take the last step to get there."
With the second leg set to take place at the Banks's next month, Smith will tell his players to approach tonight's game as they would any other.
He said: "It's different, because you know after the first 90 minutes you are not out of the competition. You can lose 8-0 and still not be out of it – OK, it's unlikely you can get back from that, but you would not be out.
"Likewise you can win 8-0 and still not have won the tie. But we won't approach this game any differently. We would back ourselves against anybody in the bottom two leagues."
