Darren Byfield's plea to Walsall fans

Captain Darren Byfield today pleaded with Walsall's wavering fans to stick with the Saddlers and raise the roof at Saturday's clash with Swindon.

The Saddlers attendances have failed to break the 4,000 barrier in their last three home matches and Byfield has now launched an impassioned appeal for supporters to keep the faith.

He said: "My message is to give us a chance again and stick with us. When I was here the first time we were going for promotion and were in the Championship and we have to show the fans we can be contenders again.

"Just give us three games at home. I know we haven't got the results but we're not playing as badly and people are making out.

"Milton Keynes Dons was the only game I've looked and was disappointed with. I would ask them to come back, get behind the younger lads in the side and watch us have a go.

"It's a big thing. I love the fans and when they are loud there's a buzz. It gets your adrenaline flowing and I don't know if the fans realise that. They have a massive part to play.

"But it is up to us. We've got to set them off, it's not about them setting us off.

"Sometimes it happens and you see the players encouraging them to get behind us and get louder and get us going but we have to set them off.

"It could be a shot, a tackle, a header, anything that gets them going."

Chris Hutchings' men have won just once on home soil so far this season and Byfield admitted that statistic must improve.

He said: "We haven't really produced what we want to at home, but we need to because it gets the fans talking and then they come back.

"If we don't play well at home the fans wonder 'why come back?'

"You can't blame them for that but it works both ways and, if they were there encouraging us, it could be the difference of getting the points or pushing us to a goal."