O'Connor targets more improvement
Martin O'Connor has demanded Walsall keep improving despite their comfortable 3-0 win over Brighton last night.
First half goals from Mark Bradley, Troy Deeney and Anthony Gerrard eased the Saddlers to a win over a poor Seagulls side at the Banks's Stadium.
The win came three days after the 5-0 embarrassment at home to Bristol Rovers and restored some battered pride.
Assistant boss O'Connor has now thrown down the gauntlet to the Saddlers to continue on an upward curve and has already set his sights on the visit to Leyton Orient on Saturday.
"That's the standard we've set and we've got to get better and hopefully we can do it against Orient," he said.
"We played with a bit of spirit, with a bit of passion and drive, which we didn't have on Saturday. The briefing was to go and play in their half and use our ability and our energy.
"That's what we got, we played some good football, scored some good goals and looked comfortable.
"We know what we are about, we know how we play, what our qualities are and what our deficits are and they were there for everyone to see on Saturday. It was a blip but it was important to bounce back."
O'Connor always expected the Saddlers, who rose to 13th in League One, to respond following their woeful performance at the weekend.
Jabo Ibehre and Alex Nicholls could have added to the Seagulls' misery but the former Walsall midfielder was happy with the display.
"For me it didn't matter who we played, we were going to put in a performance of energy, drive, passion and quality," he said.
"Let's not forget we did well in the second half and, although we didn't score, we played some great football and we earned the right to play.
"A lot of people said a lot of things about Saturday but we could only affect what was going to happen on the pitch against Brighton," he said.
"From the start we were the better team, we were more productive and the more expansive team and it could have been a lot more than three. But we'll settle for three because we kept a clean sheet which was massive for us."
Brighton top scorer Nicky Forster admitted the Saddlers deserved their win.
"We were second best," said the former Birmingham hitman. "They had more desire than us and that's hard to take as a professional because we've got to be better."
