Walsall can follow Carlisle's example

The numbers don't make for good reading but Walsall can take heart from the side who are out to pile on the misery.

The Saddlers are favourites for the drop among bookmakers and, while they shouldn't be paying out yet, it's difficult to disagree with their assessment.

Eight points from safety, four adrift at the bottom of League One, it is a grim situation for the Saddlers as they prepare to welcome Carlisle tomorrow.

The bookies have Walsall down - ahead of Dagenham & Redbridge, Yeovil and Tranmere - with bet365 and Victor Chandler offering odds of 2/5 they will be playing League Two football next year.

It perhaps makes a flutter on the Saddlers staying up worthwhile, because they have the personnel to survive and can learn from their visitors' previous great escapes.

Carlisle are the poster boys of beating the odds. Goalkeeper Jimmy Glass' last-gasp goal in the 2-1 win over Plymouth kept the Cumbrians in the Football League in 1999.

In 2008-09 they beat the League One drop on the final day of the season and at the start of this term they were 3/1 to be relegated, compared to the Saddlers' 9/4.

Bookies expected Greg Abbott's men to struggle and their odds of 12/1 in August made them 14th favourites to reach the Championship via the play-offs - hardly a ringing endorsement.

Yet they are just two points off the automatic promotion spots and in the northern area quarter-final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

They arrive at the Banks's Stadium fourth in League One and Walsall defender Oliver Lancashire believes the Saddlers can take solace in Carlisle's efforts this season.

He said: "In this league if you get a run of good wins you can easily push up the table.

"Carlisle are a similar team to us, with a similar budget I expect, and it's good to see a team like that doing well.

"They beat my old team Southampton last weekend and I spoke to Adam Lallana about them.

"It was a long way for Southampton to go but he said Carlisle were decent, scored three very good goals and are strong in both boxes.

"But we got a good win on Tuesday against Fleetwood, the boys dug in and we're looking for a win in the league.

"The manager has been saying that we had been playing well and losing, but on Tuesday we just wanted the result and got it in the end."

A similar result tomorrow would satisfy the Saddlers' camp and, while supporters are unhappy with the level of performances, the players would certainly take three lucky points.

They are without the injured Darren Byfield, who is out for up to six weeks as he battles a knee problem, and the suspended Ryan McGivern.

But Jonathan Macken (calf), Martin Devaney (hamstring) and Clayton McDonald (hamstring) could all come into contention after missing the last two games.

Their inclusion would boost the Saddlers, against a Carlisle side who have won their last four games in all competitions.

And Walsall manager Chris Hutchings admitted the Cumbrians come to the Banks's Stadium in form.

He said: "That's confidence for you, they are at the top end of the league and the belief is there.

"The players then suddenly start believing in themselves a bit more and everything they do seems to come off.

"You need a bit of luck. Against Southampton last week you can arguably say they scored against the run of play but they scored at the right time. Greg has done a great job.

"He has turned them round and it's a tough game, but every one is. We'll hold our hands up to them. They got to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final last year and they've done well in that competition again and will be full of confidence.

"But we've got to start getting results now so let's start tomorrow. We had a good result on Tuesday, we got a clean sheet and got through to the next round.

"Carlisle are a good side, no doubt about it, but we can perform and in some of the games we should have got more."

United are unbeaten in five and hoping to extend their run to the best under Abbott since he took charge in December 2008, which currently stands at seven.

Now the manager, who is expected to name an unchanged team from their 3-2 win over Southampton, wants his men to maintain their consistency.

Abbott said: "I have told the players not to give away a good run cheaply. It is now five unbeaten. If you can keep that going, you get used to winning. That's an important habit to get into.

"In football, the minute you lose a couple on the bounce you start doubting yourself.

"You wonder how you got into a decent position in the first place.

"That's why it's important we keep winning and keep the run going."

By Nick Mashiter