Walsall manager Chris Hutchings hailed Saturday’s 3-1 win over Hartlepool as the best performance of the season as they kept up the heat in the race for 10th.

On Saturday, the Saddlers shrugged off a flimsy challenge from Pools to close the gap on 11th placed Milton Keynes Dons and 10th spot Brentford – who lost to Leeds and drew with Yeovil respectively.

Goals from Julian Gray, Troy Deeney and Richard Taundry saw the Saddlers coast to victory despite Roy O’Donovan’s first-half equaliser.

Hutchings believes the display was the best of their League One campaign.

He said: “It’s as good as we’ve been this season. The two sides gave value for money, they weren’t prepared to let the season die out as some people may have thought.

“Hartlepool aren’t safe yet and obviously with the ineligible player they had they don’t know what is going to happen so are fighting for their lives.

“If it had been 6-2 it would have been a true reflection, we had quite a few chances but they were always a threat on the break and we had to be tight at the back to make sure we got the win.

“We are determined not to let the season peter out and results went for us and we look forward to the next game.

“If we can get maximum points from the last two games we can finish 10th, so that’s our objective.”

It extended the Saddlers’ unbeaten home run to five – with three straight wins – and Hutchings reckons the fans should be happy with their current form.

He said: “We’ve won the last three at home and the fans should be going home happy after a performance like that. They will probably have a few drinks now. You get games like that, sometimes it all comes off.

“You work hard to have a little bit of quality which may shine through, like selection of the right pass and then you have to take the opportunities.”

But Hutchings reckons the Saddlers shouldn’t have been caught out by the long ball, which led to O’Donovan waltzing through their offside trap to score.

He said: “I don’t know who played him onside, it will be interesting to see it again. It was a long ball through the middle of us and that’s happened a couple of times this year and that’s disappointing.

“Once or twice we’ve been looking for offside and not playing offside, I wasn’t too happy with one or two defenders at that time.”

Hartlepool boss Chris Turner believes his side lost the physical battle, but maintained they did enough to claim at least a point.

He said: “Away from home we’ve been a little soft. We’re organised enough and play well enough to get points away from home, but we were getting bullied in one or two areas.

“We had eight shots on their goal in the second-half and some very good chances. Their keeper had to make a save and they cleared one off the line.

“To their credit Walsall had one chance and they scored it, that was the difference.”