A real team effort for Hutchings

Walsall manager Chris Hutchings refused to single out any stars after the Saddlers picked up an impressive and deserved point to become party poopers at Swindon.

Steve Jones' first goal in five months put a huge dent in the Robins' automatic promotion hopes, despite Charlie Austin equalising nine minutes after the break.

The Saddlers rode out a second-half storm from the hosts with goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin, Manny Smith and Clayton McDonald outstanding.

But Hutchings insists the whole team deserves the credit for an efficient and robust performance.

He said: "It was a very hard-fought point but one that I felt we thoroughly deserved.

"It was a big team effort and I'm delighted for them, we don't want to pick individuals out because when you come to these places you've got to work hard. They are still in with a shout of getting promoted, so all credit to our lads.

"Swindon are a team that are full of confidence and have been on a fantastic run. Danny has done a fantastic job, they've got two strikers that have got 40 goals between them so you know you're going to be coming under pressure.

"You have got to be concentrating for 90 minutes."

The Saddlers' first-half performance ensured the hosts were booed off and Hutchings insists the visitors' gameplan paid off.

He said: "It wasn't necessarily a case of frustrating them, just to stop them playing. We put them under pressure and made them kick it, because I thought our centre-backs should have been as dominant as they were.

"We created some very good chances in the second-half to have maybe nicked it. Rene pulled off some good saves as we came under a bit of pressure, because they went 4-3-3.

"We had to defend, but on the counter-attack we had a couple of chances to wrap it up."

Hutchings was delighted Jones notched his 10th of the season, after missing more than three months of the season with a groin injury.

The manager said: "I'm really pleased for Jonah, because he'd been in a bit of a barren patch after the run of goals he'd scored and then he got injured. I'm delighted he got the goal and he could have had another one.

"It's been a long time coming so he's got that hurdle out of the way and he can enjoy his football. Hopefully there will be a few more before the end of the season.

"From a wideman, 10 is an excellent return and he's missed quite a few games as well.

"We know he can score goals and I'm delighted for him."

Alex Nicholls' persistence laid the goal on a plate for Jones and Hutchings was happy with the strikers' workrate despite him missing two good openings.

He said: "I thought Alex should have scored with a header before the goal. Alex worked extremely hard, pressured their defender, got the ball, got his head up and just laid 'Jonah' in.

"It was an excellent finish into the side-netting."

But despite seeing his side drop crucial points in the race for automatic promotion, Robins boss Danny Wilson chose to see the silver lining after Leeds, Millwall and Charlton slipped up.

He said: "Walsall defended very well and credit to them. Overall we are disappointed. Then you turn around and find out that we've gained a point on everybody else and we're guaranteed a place in the play-offs.

"So from the initial disappointment there comes a little bit of relief and enjoyment."