Walsall comment: A couple of pieces to complete the jigsaw

Two players have come through the door and another two could be the difference between mid-table mediocrity and a League Two promotion push.

Back in October, most fans would have been pleased with a middle of the pack finish.

Six straight league losses left the Saddlers staring at a relegation battle and the abyss of falling out of the Football League.

But results have steadily improved since November, resulting in a prosperous festive period that now sees Walsall 12th in the league.

They now have a 14-point gap over bottom teams Morecambe and Stevenage, meaning relegation is no longer a thought for the club – particularly with only one side going down this year.

Life at the Banks’s Stadium is much brighter these days, with the majority of fans pleased with the direction of the club and the hierarchy at the helm.

Even the dreaded word ‘promotion’ has been mentioned.

High profile wins, such as the away victories at Scunthorpe and Salford, have fuelled excitement among fans in recent weeks that the play-offs are possible.

Then a comprehensive 3-1 loss away at Cheltenham comes along and most accept that mid-table is more realistic.

With hope seemingly dying, Darrell Clarke’s team then pulled off a victory over Crawley and, all of a sudden, the promotion chatter is back on.

The rest of the season will probably see the same yo-yo of emotions for fans, and although it remains against the odds, Walsall could still mount a challenge for the play-offs.

Realistically, however, they need reinforcements to make that happen.

The addition of 18-year-old winger Jack Nolan has been a positive one, with the Reading academy player having a good 30-minute cameo against Crawley.

The Saddlers have also added midfielder Nathan Sheron to the squad on-loan from League One Fleetwood Town, and the 22-year-old should add some much needed physicality to the middle of the park. Two more signings before next Friday’s deadline could be the difference for the club.

Clarke has already identified another winger – someone with more experience to add balance to the right flank and challenge both Nolan and Wes McDonald. That is essential and Clarke has made that his priority.

Secondly, should the right player became available, a striker is needed.

Josh Gordon and Caolan Lavery have had good seasons but they need competition from a more consistent forward, as both Elijah Adebayo and Rory Gaffney have not hit the ground running.

The club moved for Leamington’s Josh March but missed out to Forest Green Rovers and Clarke has admitted he could be tempted if the right man was available for the right deal.

If those two positions are covered in the next week, and with a relatively solid defence already assembled, it could be an exciting end to the season for the Saddlers.