Analysis of Oldham 1 Walsall 0

Flip a coin or pick a card and the fact remains you'll have a good chance as any of guessing the nature of Walsall's next performance.

Yet again the Saddlers demonstrated their ability to undo all their previous good work with remarkable ease on Saturday. Inconsistency has blighted their season. From one game to the next you don't know which side will turn up.

From the efficient unit against Bristol Rovers, they degenerated to a toothless outfit against Oldham. Those failings have left them slap bang in midtable in League One, exactly where they deserve to be.

They cannot, and will not such is their honesty, claim they are worthy of being any higher.

No excuses are being offered, they know their fallibilities just as well as their strengths but the pre-Christmas optimism has given way to a malaise which is no longer threatening to end the season, the decline has begun.

Unfortunately it is an all too familiar mid-season phrase. The same old story has cropped up in recent campaigns and this one is swiftly following suit.

Oldham were there for the taking, a team low on quality and high on workrate, but the Saddlers simply failed to deal with them. We can argue they are better than the Latics, have superior players and back them to the hilt but it falls down after a performance like Saturday's.

But there were few positives, boss Chris Hutchings admitted as much himself, but the team cannot be continually backed and praised until they demonstrate their staying power.

One-off wins will see them hailed for 24 hours but, in the bigger picture, a day matters little in the life of the season. Tomorrow's trip to Leeds will either offer swift vindication or merely compound fears of the season's decline.

It is the best game to have. To a certain extent the pressure is off, Leeds are stuttering and the Saddlers will not be expected to shock their hosts, not at least after Saturday's performance.

If they cannot raise their game at Elland Road they have problems but, given the character of the side, an instant reaction is likely – even if the result goes against them. They are hurting, pride has taken a beating over the last two months and this is where we see who is up for the fight.

Timing is everything and a game against one of League One's big boys comes at the perfect time. Outings against the top sides have yielded few points and the Saddlers are due a big result, but only if they raise their game drastically.

A repeat of Saturday's performance will see them humbled again and psychologically they cannot afford that. Like it or not they are marooned in mid-table and professional pride, while always on the agenda, will become the only prize worth playing for.

The players will continue to fight but 15 points separates them from the play-offs, a figure which is largely considered insurmountable. The quality needed to bridge the gap was in short supply at Boundary Park, as they failed to register a single effort on target.

Their best chance came within the first five minutes when Dwayne Mattis flashed a header wide, but the Saddlers quickly retreated into their shell.

Oldham, who had only scored 11 league goals prior to Saturday's clash, dictated proceedings but only threatened twice in the first-half. Pawel Abbott was denied by Clayton Ince's splendid sprawling save before Jason Price, a one-time Walsall target, fired straight at the goalkeeper.

In the main the Saddlers kept them at bay but the home side had the advantage and, while the visitors were resolute, they struggled to keep their heads above water.

Sporadic attacks were quickly snuffed out, as Troy Deeney and Alex Nicholls fed on scraps thanks to the complete lack of potency going forward. Hutchings' mood was a dark one after the game and it wasn't hard to see why.

His team failed in their duties. He hit out at their inability to demonstrate the basics, qualities which their opponents did with minimum fuss.

To their credit, the Saddlers defended valiantly but with a punchless attack they were fighting a losing battle. Wingers Peter Till and Matt Richards were ineffective as the midfield couldn't keep possession. They didn't receive the ball and were nullified.

In contrast, Chris Taylor caused continual problems for Darryl Westlake even though the youngster faced up well. Clayton McDonald was again imperious, repelling the barrage of crosses which rained down on the Saddlers' area, but Oldham would then regroup and return.

It was standard stuff, the Latics are a two-dimensional team who will struggle this season, but this time they were too good for the Saddlers.

Price and then Dean Furman stung Ince's palms but they were half chances, the Latics being kept at an arm's length, for all their possession.

But Walsall were unable to stem the tide. Oldham's strikers have been pitiful this season but given their pressure, even the most wasteful of teams will finally break through. They did with 12 minutes remaining when Taylor worked space and crossed for Abbott to steal in ahead of Ince and nod in from close range.

It had been coming and there was little surprise, but what did shock was the lack of response. The Saddlers needed a grandstand finish but they offered little, with substitute Darren Byfield slicing their once chance horribly high and wide.

Given what has preceded it the ending was entirely predictable, but what happens at Leeds tomorrow is anyone's guess.

By Nick Mashiter