Paul Downing confident Walsall will improve

The Saddlers' win-less start to the League One season extended to six matches with Saturday's goalless draw at home to Colchester.

But Downing admitted injuries have made life harder for boss Dean Smith, who had seven players unavailable on Saturday including Romaine Sawyers, who was on international duty with St Kitts and Nevis.

Downing said: "I don't like to make excuses and we know we should have got more points than we've got but we are missing key players that would probably get in the team.

"Credit to the young players who have come in because it's not easy going in at that age and having confidence. But we will definitely be stronger when the players are back from the treatment room.

"We have another home game next Saturday and as long as we keep sticking together and working hard the goals will come.

"The longer games go on the easier it is to lose belief but we have to keep sticking with it and have confidence that we have some very good players.

"Hopefully we can get some back this week from the treatment room."

The Saddlers played out their fourth draw in six games on Saturday against a Us side who had just one point before the weekend.

Downing said: "We were at home so we wanted to win and get the first one under our belt but it wasn't to be, and again we didn't quite finish it off in the final third.

"We had some good chances and at the end it could have gone either well, but it was quite even overall."

And the defender claimed referee Pat Miller was right to deny Colchester a penalty, when Downing appeared to foul Sanchez Watt early in the second half.

"I felt it was a good decision from the referee," said the former Albion youngster. "I thought he knocked the ball past us and just ran into bodies."