Jack Earing targeting Walsall promotion push

The 3-1 victory was the Saddlers first away from home this season and they have taken eight points – half of their total tally for the League Two campaign – from the last four matches.

Matt Taylor’s men, who sat in the bottom three just a few weeks ago, are up to 16th in the table and just four points adrift of the top seven ahead of Saturday’s visit of Barrow.

Earing, who opened the scoring at Boundary Park, insists players have their sights set high.

He explained: “The last few weeks you can tell there is something changing in the building.

“On Tuesday, even though we didn’t play that well, good teams get the job done and hopefully this is the start of a good run.

“We all knew it was a defining game of our season. We know if we want to be where we want at the end of the season we have to go to places like Oldham, no disrespect to them, and win.

“We did that and now we want to go and win on Saturday and Tuesday and every game.

“Everyone in that changing room, from the new lads the gaffer brought in to the lads who were here last season, all have that hunger and desire to do our best and win. The aim is to get promoted.”

Earing netted for the second time this season to open the scoring at Oldham with further goals from George Miller and Emmanuel Osadebe sealing the win.

The 22-year-old has impressed while operating in a deeper midfield role during recent weeks and admitted he’s happy to play wherever best suits the team.

He said: “I know I can play in all the positions in midfield. The gaffer knows and I think everyone knows my favourite position is in attacking midfield because I like to create and score goals.

“But I am more than capable of playing where the gaffer wants me to play and I feel as though he trusts me in that position. I am just glad to be playing week-in, week-out and helping the team.

“It was a good win but I didn’t think we played that well. We are much better than that.

“In the first half we had three shots on target and scored two. There is that ruthlessness in front of goal we have been working on.

“We were frustrated after Saturday at Leyton Orient when we felt we should have won. On Tuesday we got into good goalscoring positions and took our chances. Hopefully it carries on.”