Boss won't give up on play-off's
Walsall manager Chris Hutchings is refusing to give up on the play-off dream as he takes his side to Leyton Orient tomorrow (3pm).
His side take to the field at Brisbane Road 10 points behind the top six without a game in hand on any of the 12 teams above them, but five of their last eight games are against teams in the top 10 - with home games against bottom club Cheltenham and Huddersfield also to come after Orient.
So the Saddlers could well have a say in the promotion shake up yet - even if it is as outsiders - and the manager will not give up on the prospect that there is something left to play for.
He said: "There is always that chance. We know the odds are stacked against us, we know that we will have to win the majority of our remaining games but we are capable, as we showed on Tuesday.
"We could affect it, a lot of our remaining games are against teams right in the mix. Anybody can beat anybody on their day - but you have got to have more good days than bad days."
Hutchings takes his team to the capital to face a side who have breathed life into their relegation fight since Geraint Williams was appointed boss at the start of last month.
Indeed, the O's have won their last three games, the latest at ninth-placed Stockport on Tuesday.
But the Walsall boss also watched his team easily dispose of Brighton 3-0 that very evening, the perfect tonic from their 5-0 crash at home to Bristol Rovers.
He said: "Orient are one of the form sides at the moment, Geraint has gone in and done a good job there, so it will be a tough trip - we know that.
"We know what we can do, it's finding that consistency. If we don't reach the standard of Brighton, we must only drop a little bit, we can't afford to drop as far as we did against Bristol Rovers."
The Saddlers chief faces a selection poser in midfield, after midfielder Mark Bradley started and scored in midweek, with Stephen Hughes absent for personal reasons.
With the skipper now ready to return to the squad, Hutchings has a decision to make.
He said: "Mark did very well, I was pleased for him. He took his chance, so if Hughes is available it will give me a real dilemma."
Defender Anthony Gerrard is definitely out with a calf injury, so Rhys Weston is expected to move into central defence with Chris Palmer brought in at right-back.
Striker Michael Ricketts sits out game four of a five-match suspension, while defender Stephen Roberts (back) is still out.
