Express & Star

Dean Smith not looking for Walsall's revenge

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Manager Dean Smith insists Walsall will not treat Sunday's League One finale at Bristol City as a revenge mission.

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The fixture is a repeat of last month's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, which the Robins won 2-0.

Steve Cotterill's team have since completed the double and will be presented with the League One trophy after Sunday's game.

But while Smith has not tried to conceal disappointment with how his own side performed at Wembley, it will not be a source of motivation.

He said: "We have no point to prove about Wembley. We want to go and finish as high as we can in the league. It would be nice to finish the season unbeaten in the last eight games.

"We know what a good team Bristol City are. They have won the league comfortably and are a really good team, I'm sure they will be in celebratory mood.

"But we will go there, as we always do, to try to win the game."

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The Saddlers go into the game on a seven-match unbeaten run and having plundered 12 goals – a quarter of their total for the season in the league – in five games.

Smith, who has frequently faced criticism over a perceived lack of cutting edge, is delighted with the form his side are in – no matter how belatedly it has arrived.

"It (goal-scoring) has become contagious," he said. "The reserves have gone goals-mad as well with seven against Morecambe and eight against Wrexham.

"We were due it, we have created a number of chances in a lot of games and not taken them.

"I stopped the training last week and pulled the players together because it was such a good standard – the pace, the tempo."

Walsall reserves round off their Final Third Development League campaign when they host Tranmere today (2pm kick-off) at Chasetown.