Dean Smith hails Walsall's resilience

Walsall boss Dean Smith hailed his side resilience after they gave their survival hopes a shot in the arm with a win over fellow relegation battlers Dagenham & Redbridge.

Substitute Will Grigg came off the bench and bagged the decisive goal which left Smith's side three points away from climbing out of the drop zone.

It was the first time the Saddlers have completed a game without conceding since their shock 1-0 away win over Charlton in December and only their third league shut-out of the campaign.

Smith said: "The pleasing thing was the clean sheet - we have deserved a clean sheet over the past few weeks and it hasn't come.

"I was really pleased for all 11 of them and not just about the goalkeeper and the back four. They were well protected by those in front and we restricted them to only a few chances.

"We could have been out of sight in the first-half with the chances we created. I said to the lads at half-time 'don't let them get out of jail,' because that is what it would have been as we had so many chances.

"I told them to believe, because I felt we would get more chances in the second-half and I'm thankful that we got the win.

"The conditions weren't great. I just felt we have good footballing players and if we got the ball down and moved it with purpose then I don't think there was an awful lot that Dagenham could have done against us."

Before Grigg's introduction nine minutes from time it looked like Dagenham had done enough on to claim a point after Walsall fluffed several chances.

Veteran striker Jon Macken in particular should have had hat-trick but Smith was unconcerned by his side's profligacy.

He said: "I wasn't worried to be honest I felt the lads were on it. They performed well and we were creating chances.

"I thought Jon was outstanding for us. His link-up play and Dagenham's two centre-backs could not get near him.

"His hold-up play was fantastic and the only thing that was missing from him was a goal but that will come.

"He shaved the post a couple of times in the first half and I think he must have run over a black cat or something to not score!"