Analysis of Walsall 1 Dagenham 0

Where there's a Will, there's a way. And Walsall's 'Great Escape' remains on – just.

The Saddlers registered a victory thanks to a timely piece of 'Will-power' to see off Dagenham & Redbridge last night and keep an unlikely survival on the cards.

Teenage striker Will Grigg kept his composure to hand Dean Smith's battlers a victory that looked destined to slip away despite their utter dominance.

And the nature of the vital home success made it a ringing endorsement of the new-found belief in the Walsall camp.

The Saddlers made all the running, played all the football and managed six shots on target to the Daggers' one.

Yet, as quickly as the chances came, they went begging as the otherwise superb Jon Macken squandered a catalogue of clear-cut opportunities, while Julian Gray and Richard Taundry had goal-bound shots kept out and full-back Darryl Westlake missed a sitter.

With just nine minutes remaining everyone inside the Banks's Stadium believed the hosts were destined for a night of frustration – everyone except Smith and his players. They kept pressing with a show of defiance that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

They got their rewards with time running out as Macken, who refused to lose heart despite his own frustrations in front of goal, set up Grigg and the 19-year-old produced a nonchalant training ground finish in the highest of high-pressure moments.

Failure to win might have delivered a fatal blow to Walsall's survival chances, yet Grigg and Co showed the kind of steely calm that might yet prove to be the foundation for a stunning conclusion to the season.

The first of the evening's many chances was created on 10 minutes by a clever turn in midfield by the Saddlers midfielder Matt Gill.

Gill fed Macken, who turned smartly 20 yards from goal and let fly with a skidding low shot that flew narrowly wide.

Having had little of the ball early on, the Daggers gave James Walker the chance to display his agility to keep out a header from Damian Scannell, although an offside flag had already been raised.

The hosts remained on top, however, and had two near misses in the space of a minute.

First Macken fired a fraction wide after Matt Richards had driven his way to the edge of the Daggers area.

Then Richards himself bundled a shot into the arms of Roberts after a fine cross from birthday-boy Taundry.

The youngster, operating wide on the right, produced another superb delivery moments later and this time the late-arriving Aaron Lescott saw his shot deflect just wide.

A scrappy period ensued as a persistent downpour made for horrid conditions, but it was the Saddlers who retained the territorial advantage and Gray sent a shot well over the bar after excellent link-up play by Alex Nicholls.

The pressure continued when Richards released Gray, who made a powerful run down the left and returned the favour, only for Richards' effort from the edge of the box to take a deflection and loop over.

But it appeared that the goal was destined not to come when Gray's inviting cross was fired goalwards by Taundry and deflected towards his own net by Abu Agogo, only for the defender to somehow scramble it away.

The home defenders had been largely untroubled but captain Andy Butler had to make a timely block seven minutes before the break to block Danny Green's shot.

The second-half began as the first had ended, with Walsall on top, and they should have led on 52 minutes when Nicholls carved out a glorious chance for Macken.

Nicholls' footwork left Agogo standing and his pinpoint cross left Macken with just Roberts to beat, but the striker went for a precise side-footed finish and the veteran goalkeeper spread himself to make the save.

For all the home side's smart build-up play, the failure to turn it into goals was beginning to breed frustration in the ranks of the Banks's Stadium's second lowest League One crowd of the season.

Their mood was not improved when Macken failed to make the most of another decent chance, sending a far-post header too close to Roberts from Taundry's cross.

The misery continued to build for the home fans and they could barely believe it when the best chance of the evening went begging with 22 minutes left.

Some fine passing ended with Gray sending Taundry's deep cross into the danger zone, where Westlake somehow lifted a shot over the bar from 10 yards with Roberts out of the game and the goal gaping.

It became excruciating when a galloping Lescott picked out an unmarked Macken at the far post, only for the experienced striker's touch to let him down.

When the Saddlers did get a shot on target, through Gray from a tight angle, the sprawling Agogo deflected it behind.

So it was left to substitute Grigg to make the deserved breakthrough with just nine minutes remaining.

Gill's ball forward was held up intelligently by Macken, who delayed his pass until Grigg arrived to bend a shot past Roberts from 15 yards for his first senior Banks's Stadium goal.

There was a real scare seconds later for the Saddlers when Bas Savage got away with a shove on Lancashire and shot at goal but Lescott was on hand to clear and secure a richly deserved victory for Walsall and their iron Will.