Express & Star

On this day: Walsall thrash Port Vale

On this day in 2016, Walsall's League One season ended with the demolition of Port Vale.

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In what was a hugely successful time for the club, promotion was the aim from the very beginning of the campaign. Four wins and one draw from the opening five games of the 2015/16 season set the club up for an exciting year.

Under the guidance of Dean Smith, all the signs were promising and the club sat fourth in the table at the end of November – but Smith then left for Brentford.

Following that, Sean O'Driscoll came in and then left in the following March and Jon Whitney then took over until the end of the season. Despite all this turbulence off the field, the squad were still aiming high on it.

Going into the final game of the season, automatic promotion was still a possibility – but Walsall needed to get past Port Vale away, and see Burton Albion slip up away to Doncaster.

The Saddlers lined up with Neil Etheridge, Jason Demetriou, James O'Connor, Paul Downing, Rico Henry, Adam Chambers, Romaine Sawyers, Anthony Forde, Kieron Morris, Milan Lalkovic and Tom Bradshaw.

After Etheridge made a handful of smart saves in the opening stages of the game, Walsall began to find their rhythm. In the 23rd minute, O'Connor's long range effort was parried and then headed home by Downing – before Bradshaw followed up Lalkovic's effort to double the scoring only three minutes later.

Walsall took the game by the scruff of the neck and never let go. After 38 minutes Forde powered home a 30-yard strike before the midfielder and substitute Sam Mantom both scored after the break to make it five to the visitors.

That 5-0 win for Walsall was only Vale's fourth home defeat of the season and it meant Whitney's side had done their bit in the chase for promotion.

However, Burton's 0-0 draw away at Doncaster – who were relegated – meant they nipped second place and automatic promotion to the Championship, only one point ahead of Walsall.

After failing to clinch promotion, and with a play-off semi-final double header set up with Barnsley, Whitney said: "We're very upbeat. If you're going to be in the play-offs, the way it's worked out could not be better, in how we've built momentum over the last three games.

"We've won that final now and qualified for an even bigger tournament now. We've got the chance top go back to Wembley and lay a few ghosts."

It didn't go to plan, however, as a 3-0 away loss and a 3-1 home defeat meant Walsall crashed out of the play-offs at the first hurdle.