Dean Keates: Walsall moving in the right direction
Boss Dean Keates feels Walsall are moving in the right direction - but warned there is still a long way to go - after his team boosted their League One survival hopes with victory over Fleetwood.
Second half goals from Morgan Ferrier and Dan Scarr saw the Saddlers run out convincing 2-0 winners at the Banks’s Stadium.
The victory lifted Keates’ men up to 16th in the League One table, five places and three points above the relegation zone.
Unbeaten in their last three, the Saddlers have now also registered back-to-back clean sheets.
But while he was delighted with his players’ performance against the Cod Army, Keates refused to get carried away.
It was a very similar game to the one at Burton last week but we got the goals this time around,” the boss said.
“We’re delighted and it’s three points to put us in the right direction.
“We spoke to the lads at half-time and we felt we had another 10, 15, 20 per cent in the tank and we asked them to go and unleash it – and they did.
“We started brightly, we were on the front foot and we deserved the three points.”
Keates continued: “We’ve hit a bit of form but we want to build on it.
“There are 10 games left, 30 points to play for, we want to get as many points as we can and make sure that we are not going into the last few games looking over our shoulders.
“The table looks okay on the eye at the minute but we are only three points and five places above the relegation zone.”
Ferrier was a surprise inclusion in Walsall’s starting line-up with the striker thrown into the side after Matt Jarvis picked up an ankle knock in training.
The former Boreham Wood striker has only just recovered from a hamstring problem himself.
And Keates was pleased with the forward’s display.
“He (Ferrier) got thrown in at the deep end today, he’s contributed and he got a goal,” the boss continued.
“Normally when you are out of the team for a few weeks like Morgan has been, you don’t normally get a top given to you.
“Maybe he’s been fortunate (because of Matt Jarvis’ injury) because he would have found himself sat on the bench waiting.
“He got thrown a top today, he’s contributed and he scored and he’s only going to get stronger on the back of those minutes.”
Keates was also thrilled with back-to-back clean sheets.
“(Ched) Evans and (Paddy) Madden have scored a lot of goals between them but I thought the whole back four was outstanding,” he added.
