The heat still on for Chris Hutchings

Manager Chris Hutchings has admitted the heat is still on Walsall but insisted the Saddlers can turn the corner.

The strugglers claimed their first win in nine games with a gritty 2-1 win over 10-man Exeter on Saturday to lift them out of the League One relegation zone.

They are out of the drop spots on goal difference after loan signings Martin Devaney and Andrew Davies inspired their new team to victory.

But Hutchings insisted they must power away from the bottom in order to ease the danger.

He said: "We won but I put pressure on myself because I want us to be better. I want us to play for 90 minutes like we did in the first-half, but we didn't so I'll go away and analyse that.

"You always put yourself under pressure, last year I was under pressure and when I first came in I was under pressure, that's football and that's management.

"But the lads know we haven't deserved to lose some of the games we have lost to be quite honest.

"Maybe it was a bit of turning point as we got two lads in and it can springboard us from here. It will give us confidence as we've been on a run which wasn't very nice.

"We looked a threat, our final ball and retention the second-half could have been a bit better but let's enjoy the win."

Goals from Reuben Reid and Matt Richards eased the Saddlers' woes before Troy Archibald-Henville was sent off and Ryan Harley pulled a goal back and Hutchings felt the Saddlers got the luck.

He said: "It's three points and a win. It's a fine dividing line, we all know that and sometimes we need a little bit of luck.

"In recent games we haven't had that and individual errors have cost us."