Three is the magic number for Walsall

The triumvirate of Steve Jones, Darren Byfield and Troy Deeney ripped 10-man Oldham to shreds last night as the Saddlers continued their League One charge.

Eight-goal Jones has hit the net seven times in his last eight games. An impressive return by anyone's standards but the fact they have come from the right wing merely highlights his value.

Byfield has five and Deeney's double took him to six – between them the trio have scored 19 of the Saddlers' 27 goals.

A Walsall side without them wouldn't bare thinking about.

Deeney was quick to praise the rest of the squad but the trio are the focal point. They receive the plaudits and bag the headlines.

They are the flair players. A side like Walsall cannot afford to carry too many of those but because they work like Trojans they slot in.

He has several seasons behind him but Jones couldn't have played much better than this while Byfield is revelling in the return to the West Midlands.

But Deeney is the main beneficiary. He needed Michael Ricketts' guidance last season and the sheer presence of the two 33-year-olds this term gives him the courage and freedom to perform.

He has the raw ability – the magnificent touch for his second goal last night shows that – it's about harnessing it on a consistent basis.

The efforts of Mark Bradley and Josh O'Keefe in midfield shouldn't go unnoticed. Bradley has finally started to find form and O'Keefe's professional performance on his full debut bodes well for the future.

The win moved Walsall up to ninth – two points off the play-offs with a better goal difference than sixth-placed MK Dons.

They were helped by the reckless Lee Hills who was rightly sent off in the first half as they cruised past Oldham with consummate ease.

They have not been in a better position since Hutchings arrived and perhaps their form will even tempt the fans back. A crowd of just 3,191 was the smallest League gate of the season.

It helped Oldham were just short of appalling. Punchless in attack and flimsy in defence, they offered little resistance as the Saddlers extended their unbeaten run to five games.

There is now consistency in performances and selection as only Dwayne Mattis' Achilles injury denied Hutchings the chance to name an unchanged line up for the fourth successive game.

It allowed O'Keefe to make his first start for the club – four months after his arrival from Blackburn.

The worry was the absence of Mattis would upset Bradley's rhythm. The Welsh youngster had started to blossom after an inconsistent campaign and was dovetailing nicely with Mattis.

But this was his chance to be the senior man and lead by example and he guided his new partner in crime effectively.

It was also O'Keefe's opportunity to make an impact – that he did when he was cautioned inside the first 90 seconds after a crunching tackle on Danny Whitaker.

The hosts took the lead with their first real attack on 20 minutes. Byfield wriggled free on the right and clipped the ball to the far post where a stretching Deeney somehow managed to turn the ball in.

Four minutes later he had keeper Darryl Flahavan scrambling to tip over a miscued volley.

The contest was yet to ignite with the frequency of referee Woolmer's whistle hindering proceedings. That was until the 42nd minute when Hills was sent off for a crude flying lunge on Jones.

The left-back had to walk and his misery was compounded when, on the stroke of half time, Jones doubled the Saddlers' advantage when he produced a brilliant chip over the advancing Flahavan.

It was set up for the hosts to show their killer instinct. Average Oldham were there for the taking.

It was a chance to put down a marker, a statement of intent, to the rest of the league.

And they almost scored inside the first 20 seconds of the re-start. Byfield was denied by Flahavan and when Jones lashed the rebound goalwards the Latics keeper recovered to claim.

But during an even second half the Saddlers added a third 10 minutes from time when Deeney expertly controlled Bradley's long ball, rounded Flahavan and stroked home.

By Nick Mashiter.