Port Vale vs Walsall - Match preview: Saddlers eager to make another statement in crunch clash

Walsall briefly topped the table on goal difference on Tuesday evening before Ronan Curtis' last-gasp equaliser rescued a point for Port Vale at Cheltenham Town. 

But maximum points will send Walsall above their local rivals and propel them into top spot with a game in hand. 

The Saddlers created a four-point buffer between themselves and the trailing pack in the play-off spots after crucially conquering Notts County 3-2 at Bescot in midweek. 

That extended their unbeaten run to seven games in League Two but Sadler insists his squad will continue to give everything to maintain their promotion pushing form.

He said: "I always told on so many occasions to go with what you believe in and go with your gut instinct on things. 

"That's what we've done but we've got a group of people, staff and players who've gone along with that. 

"We've got some incredibly honest and hard working people with no egos and certainly a real belief attached to it. 

"You've got to break an egg to make an omelette. If that's the case, then it's all part of the process and the journey that we're still on. 

"Another thing is that we're only a year into it so we certainly don't feel like the finished article or anything like that. 

"We've just got to keep going and move forward when we have setbacks because in actual fact the guys give everything."  

Sadler has revealed Jamie Jellis is "touch and go" and will be assessed ahead of the weekend. 

Jellis suffered a calf injury in the 4-0 cup defeat against Charlton Athletic last week and was absent in midweek. 

However, Brandon Comley has been ruled out and is poised to spend the next four to six weeks on the side lines with a fractured cheekbone. 

Priestley Farquharson (thigh) has also suffered a setback in his road to recovery. The defender was targeting a potential return in the New Year but is expected to spend a further two months out of action.

George Hall was handed only his third league start in the absence of Jellis and opened his goal scoring account for the club with Walsall's second goal. 

The Birmingham City loanee, who has been plagued by injuries over the past 18 months, has scored twice in his last three matches across all competitions. 

And Sadler is confident that all of his midfielders can play a key role for Walsall throughout the rest of the campaign.

"George looks sharp, really sharp. He's in a good place and we're very lucky with the eights that we've got," he observed.

"All of them will be needed for different games and different moments. Every single one of them. 

"It's great that George had his time on Tuesday where he got his goal through a lot of the hard work he put in."