Sean O'Driscoll: Walsall must improve

Boss Sean O'Driscoll has admitted Walsall must improve if they are to get their promotion challenge back on track at Burton.

The Saddlers head coach wants his players to learn the lessons from Saturday's gut-wrenching home defeat to Wigan.

Yanic Wildschut's stoppage-time winner condemned the hosts to a 2-1 defeat and saw the visiting Latics leapfrog them into second spot in the League One table.

Two points behind with a game in hand, the Saddlers still control their own destiny.

But, while he will not ignore the positives, O'Driscoll conceded they need to get better after a third defeat in four home games.

Next is a trip to the league-leading Brewers on Saturday and O'Driscoll said: "I will give the players a pat on the back for doing the things they have done well.

"But I'll also tell them 'come on, we have got to be better than this now.' We have to learn from it.

"It will be another tough game against Burton next week who will cause us a different set of problems and we have to make sure we can adapt."

O'Driscoll, who admitted he didn't know whether to praise his players or 'give them a rollocking,' felt they reacted too slowly to Wigan's gameplan.

Conor McAleny put the visitors ahead late in the first-half, before Sam Mantom equalised midway through the second with the Saddlers' first shot on target.

O'Driscoll added: "We just needed half-time to reset everything. The game we wanted to play in our heads wasn't going to happen because they weren't going to allow it.

"That is what teams do. You are not going to get your own way."

Full-back Rico Henry missed the game with a twisted ankle, but both he and centre-back James O'Connor (dead leg) are expected to return for the trip to Burton.

O'Driscoll said: "If it was the cup final maybe Jimmy would have played with an injection, but we have games coming up."