Jonny Brain says sorry to Walsall fans

Walsall goalkeeper Jonny Brain has apologised to the club's suffering fans after the Saddlers nosedived into the relegation zone.

The Saddlers crashed 2-1 at Victoria Park on Saturday to slump to a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and heap the pressure on manager Chris Hutchings.

Hartlepool leapfrogged them in the table and, with Walsall 21st in League One, Brain has said sorry to the 134 travelling fans – some of whom called for Hutchings' head.

The goalkeeper said: "We're all here to do our best for the club, we want to go out and win games. We're the most disappointed about it and we're the ones putting in the poor displays.

"We're the ones who are feeling it most, even if the supporters maybe don't see or think that.

"The fans have been brilliant with me, they sang and were really loud in the second half and we feel for the supporters, they travelled a long way and we're disappointed for them.

"The dressing room was horrible and you don't want to be in the losing dressing room every week, it's the worst feeling in football."

But the 27-year-old realised the fans deserved better and the players let them down on Saturday.

Brain said: "We needed more from everyone on the pitch. It wasn't good enough," he said.

"It was pretty clear we needed to get something out of the game, Hartlepool were struggling around us and it was a game we were desperate not to lose.

"We came with the intention of getting three points. We started well and got the early goal but Hartlepool came into the game and ended winning 2-1. We are very disappointed."

Goals Tony Sweeney and Andy Monkhouse sunk Hutchings' side – the fifth time they have lost 2-1 this season – and Brain insisted the Saddlers can still count themselves unlucky.

He said: "It's been a crazy run, the amount of times it's been 2-1 and there's a lot of head scratching going on. We could have easily won the game."