Game a ‘must win’ - Walsall ace

Walsall captain Tommy Mooney has labelled tomorrow’s showdown with play-off rivals Tranmere as a ‘must win’ game.

Rovers currently occupy sixth place, five points ahead of the Saddlers having played a game more and the form of the other contenders is such that Mooney believes they are playing for the final play-off position, behind Doncaster, Forest and Southend.

“I think that sixth place is realistically the only one available and for that reason we have to win tomorrow,” Mooney said.

“No other result will do. Getting an equaliser in the last minute wouldn’t be good enough for us, we need to win the game it’s as simple as that. 

The top scorer believes that a victory over Tranmere could be the catalyst for a final push whereby if they win their final games of the season, they would not only reach the play-offs, but win them.

“The advantage that we have is that the team that goes into the play-offs on the best run are the ones that win it,” Mooney said.

“I’ve done that with Birmingham and Watford, where we haven’t been in the play-off places all season and then went on a run right at the death.

“This time around we’ve got six games left and if we win every one of them, we’ll be the form team. 

“Saturday is a massive game for us for that reason. It’s got to be the first win of six, because you need to do that to go into the play-offs with a winning mentality. 

“If we win the last six games, we will be in the play-offs and we’ll win them. It’s as simple as that.

“Even though we’ve played so poorly and had poor results in our last six games, if we win the next six, we win the play-offs, it’s as simple as that.”