Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has challenged his players to hunt down League One’s leading pack.

The Saddlers haven’t won four straight games since March and April of their triumphant League Two title campaign in 2007, but a win tomorrow at Brentford would equal that run.

They are currently four points off League One’s top six in 10th and a win, with favourable results elsewhere, will see the Saddlers move to within a point. The manager reckons they must start closing the gap.

He said: “That’s the challenge now, we’ve got the back-to-back wins and it gets you up the table, but we’ve got to do it again.

“It’s a sign of a team who wants to be up there, and deserves to be up there. Brentford will have something to say about whether we can do it or not.

“Hartlepool are there and on a run and so are one or two others. Yeovil are another team around us, so it’s important tomorrow.

“If you’re not confident after three wins you shouldn’t be in the game. We’re going into it with confidence and we’re in a little run of games which we feel we can get something out of.”

The 16th placed Bees have won just three league games at Griffin Park, and are just four points off the drop zone. Hutchings knows they need a win to stop getting pulled down.

He said: “ It’s going to be a tough game, but we know what we’ve got to do.”

The game starts a run of four matches against teams below the Saddlers in the table with league games against Oldham, Yeovil and Southampton to come.

Hutchings, who welcomes back goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin but is still without Jamie Vincent and Richard Taundry, knows tomorrow sets up a big spell.

He added: “We’ve got to make sure we take something on our travels.  We’ve done OK on our travels but we’re always looking to improve.”