Let's hope Walsall can build on a win

Walsall blogger Mark Jones is keeping his fingers crossed his beloved Saddlers have turned a corner as they go to Dagenham & Redbridge.

Well done boys, you made hard work of it but we sure did need those three points against Exeter.

Thank you for putting in a performance that was worthy of the Walsall shirt.

I admit to having had serious doubts about our ability to get off the foot of the table. In fact, I couldn't even see where the next win was coming from.

So to find out that one win took us out of the drop zone as a result of the four teams above us losing was a massive bonus. Thank you to them for that.

And well done to manager Chris Hutchings for bringing in two players to improve the side.

As well as being prepared to get stuck in and lead the back line while looking good on the ball, Andrew Davies appears to also have that ruthless streak that seems to characterise all good centre halves.

The rest of the defence, especially Manny Smith, just seemed to be that little bit stronger as a result.

Martin Devaney had an excellent start to life as a Saddler. He's exactly the kind of skilful, creative wide player prepared to put a shift in that we've been missing for the last two months. Typically, just as Steve Jones returns from injury.

Of course, it would be wrong to get carried away on the back of a better result and performance, one swallow is just a good night out as the saying goes.

Our league position is still precarious, we have got two big six-pointers coming up before the fixture list gets decidedly more difficult and, for possibly the first time ever, I'm not exactly looking forward to the draw for the first round of the FA Cup.

You have to wonder how many of our five current loan players will be allowed to play that weekend?

And doesn't the very fact that we've had to bring in temporary replacements also just highlight the fact that the squad that was put together in the summer wasn't strong enough in the first place?

We should also pat ourselves on the back for our support against Exeter and in previous games.

Although there are genuine and long-standing concerns about where the club is at and where it's going, fans are still getting behind the team and the players that are trying their hardest are getting recognition for that.

Saturday's opponents Dagenham & Redbridge have achieved a huge amount since their creation in the early 1990s.

They have clearly moved on from their non-league predecessors who we met in the cup in the 1960s and 1970s. They should not be underestimated, so Saturday is another massive game.

ButI hope I will be able to say a few more well dones and thank yous this time next week.