Walsall manager Dean Smith today shrugged off a tough work-out against a slick Aston Villa side to keep his sights firmly on readying  the Saddlers for their League One start.

Forty-eight hours after a full-bodied friendly against Wolves, the home team were back at the Banks’s Stadium again trying to make up a two division gap before succumbing to a 3-1 defeat.

In truth, Villa gave Smith’s squad a more gruelling test, especially in a first-half which the Premier League side completed with the line-up new boss Alex McLeish would most likely pick if his team’s campaign began today.

That meant an awful lot of ball chasing for Walsall which could not prevent Villa opening a three-goal lead, before a second-half fractured by the inevitable parade of substitutions saw Smith’s men give a good account of themselves in pulling a goal back through George Bowerman.

Smith paid no regard to the result, safe in the knowledge that his team won’t be meeting players of Villa’s quality each week.

He said: “This was a second game in three days against Premier League opponents and it was probably a little bit too much for my squad to cope with.

“They are a long way ahead of us in terms of the calibre of player we are facing. Darren Bent was the scorer of their first goal tonight and the last time I saw him he was scoring the first goal for England.

“So we won’t be too disappointed by the outcome. But I did say to the boys at half time ‘OK, they are a good football side and they have taken us apart at times in the first-half.’

“But give me that aggression you’ve still got left and go out and win the second half – and that’s what we did.”

Smith again utilised his bench extensively, giving a start to a cluster of players who had began Tuesday night’s Wolves match on the bench while resting others.

He said: “Primarily this week has all been about a fitness exercise and getting game-time for every player. We’ve no injuries, the players are progressing and that’s what matters.

“But we finished the match with our front four all products of our Centre of Excellence and that has got to mean this club is doing something right.”

To read our stories in full, log in to the premium 24 website.