Dean Smith: Walsall have come a long way

Manager Dean Smith believes Walsall's impressive point at Wigan Athletic is a sign of how far his side have come.

The Saddlers secured their third league shut-out in four games with the goalless draw at the DW Stadium.

But failed to take advantage of their hosts going down to 10 men in the second-half.

The result kept Walsall's unbeaten away record for the season intact, while the Latics, who remain unbeaten at home, climb to ninth.

Smith said: "At the end we were probably disappointed with the point. Certainly after our second-half performance.

"After our first-half performance we were fortunate to come in 0-0 because of their domination but after the break we were the better team. Yes it does show how far we've come.

"They've got Will Grigg up front who's a million pound player, they've got Jordy Hiwula who's on loan and Huddersfield brought him for three or four hundred thousand.

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"They've also got Michael Jacobs - so they've got a lot of good players and will be a test for whoever comes here to play against them but we can take a lot of heart from that."

Despite it being the Saddlers first goalless draw of the 2015-16 campaign, the Saddlers boss thought it was anything but a uneventful 90 minutes.

He said: "I thought it was entertaining. They're a good team with good players and I thought that we were second best in the first-half.

"We only looked dangerous from a couple of counter attacks and they moved the ball really well.

"We probably struggled a bit in the first-half but in the second-half I thought that we were the better team.

"It was a good entertaining 0-0. Both teams trying to play football and win the game.

"I thought we did everything right when their player got sent off too in terms of ball possession in their half and trying to open them up.

"We created a few chances but unfortunately didn't take any of them."