Relief for Walsall boss

Boss Richard Money was relieved to have salvaged a point from a match he had hoped would push the Saddlers back into the play-off picture.

“I think it was important to come off the pitch with something,” Money said.

“Another defeat would not only have hurt us in terms of points total, but in terms of confidence and belief.

“I think you get spells in the season when things just don’t seem to drop – either going forward or defensively – and we’re in that little bit of a spell at the minute.

“We’ve just got to keep going until it turns because it will do and the only way it will turn is to keep fighting and keep going and I think the team have shown again today that they’re prepared to do it.”

Money was proud of his players’ efforts, given the tough match at Leeds just 48 hours previous.

“It was always going to be a tough ask,” he said.

“We played at 5.20pm on Saturday in what was a big game live on television and there’ll have been not only physical exertions, but there will have been some nervous tension and nervous energy dispelled with it being a big game.

“I think to recover in the way that they did was full testimony not only to the physios but to the players themselves and they kept going.”

Despite not being able to find the back of the net until the very death, Money was pleased with the way they played.

“I actually thought we played pretty well first half,” Money said.

“We moved it well and between the two penalty boxes I thought we were good.

“Crewe always looked a threat, as we knew they would be.

“In the final third we just don’t seem to be able to pick the right pass at the right time or somebody mis-controls or mis-hits a cross or shot and suddenly it fizzles out.

“That’s where we are at the minute. I thought generally speaking between the two penalty boxes we played some pretty decent stuff.”

Money also praised the contributions of Alex Nicholls and Troy Deeney after he introduced them in the second half.

“I think whatever happens, people will hopefully go away from the game with two thoughts,” Money said.

“Firstly that we’ve scored a dramatic last minute equaliser, which was important, but also with the knowledge that the long term future of this football club is in safe hands and the two boys came on and gave us a real lift.

“We’ve given them a bit of a breather and the feeling was that they were ready to go again and they’ve shown that today and I think that together with Bradley and Taundry they’ll have a big part to play between now and the end of the season.”

Money refused to be downcast over the possibility of the play-offs despite collecting just two points from a possible 15.

“I think we’ve come off the pitch in a really positive frame of mind to be honest,” he said.

“It hasn’t been a particularly good Easter for us. One point from two games when you would hope to get more than that and we know we’ve got two tough games coming up.

“The most important thing is not to think too far ahead.

“Let’s just stay in contention and if we’re in there right at the death then anything can happen.”