David Davis lifts lid on horror start

David Davis has admitted Walsall's confidence had been "killed" by their wretched start to the season.

The on-loan midfielder has lifted the lid on how the Saddlers' spirit was sapped before their six-game losing run ended at Leyton Orient on Tuesday.

The visit of Yeovil tomorrow represents a golden chance to build on that gritty goalless draw and pick up a first win since a 2-1 victory over Plymouth on August 21.

A bullish and upbeat atmosphere has been building at the Saddlers' training base in Essington this week, with the team convinced a corner is about to be turned.

But Wolves starlet Davis admitted confidence was slowly eroding, after six narrow defeats saw the Saddlers slip into the League One drop zone and crash out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

He said: "It's always been by one goal. That's the one thing which has killed our confidence the most. It's been the one goal, not three or four.

"We've been tight and we've got ourselves back into the games half the time but defensive errors have cost us. But it's happened now and hopefully we can put it right. Tuesday was great and all the lads are buzzing.

"Losing six games on the bounce isn't good for the confidence but we've all stuck together and hopefully we can win tomorrow."

Davis, who confirmed he is eager to extend his loan spell, did not come to struggle at the wrong end of the table.

Walsall sit 22nd in League One - a point and a place behind tomorrow's visitors - and a win could help them escape the bottom four.

The 19-year-old admitted the Saddlers' barren run has made him even more determined to pick up his first win for the club - and only his second as a professional after a spell at troubled Darlington last season.

He said: "Everyone has to go through it as a player and I'm young now, so hopefully when I'm older I won't have to go through it again.

"It certainly spurs me on, every time we come close and every time we lose it makes me want to win more.

"If we had lost Tuesday it would have made me even more determined to win tomorrow. We got a point but I'm still desperate to win.

"The lads we have got here are great and the draw we had was good and we can build on it.

"It's a hard league because everyone wants to get promoted but you have to be mentally stronger than everyone else."

Several of the players have defended manager Chris Hutchings this week after admitting they had let the boss down too often this season.

The Saddlers have lost key men to injury this season and are again without skipper Darren Byfield, Steve Jones and Richard Taundry tomorrow.

But Davis insists there can be no excuses for their position and added his voice to Hutchings' supporters.

He said: "We should have more points - even if they were only draws - because we've been very close in the games.

"We haven't exactly been outplayed, the manger has been telling us to keep believing and it will come. He's a great manager and I've developed already.

"He's helped me learn sides of the game that I didn't already know and some that I perhaps should have known already. He has been telling the lads we're a good side and we know that.

"We knew our luck would change and it did on Tuesday and I believe we'll win tomorrow."

Hutchings dismissed suggestions the clash can be labelled as a six-pointer because it's too early in the season.

He said: "I wouldn't say it's a six pointer - it's a three pointer and always will be - but it's three you want to win.

"Every game is crucial because you want to get three points, if you don't do that you've got to get one.

"In recent weeks we haven't done that, to get a point at Orient was a good point.

"There haven't been any easy ones so far. If you put three or four wins together you shoot right up the table. You can arguably say this season starts now.

"We've got to make sure we go on a good run and get to where we think we deserve to be."

Like the Saddlers, Yeovil have struggled this season despite an impressive 1-1 draw against Southampton on Tuesday.

But manager Terry Skiverton has slammed his team, who have shipped 18 goals this season - the worst in League One.

He said: "We're conceding too many goals and with me being a centre-half I'm disgusted with a couple of them.

"We can pick any formation, but at the end of the day, you have got to stay with your man.

"If your man is getting the better of you, it stands out a mile."