Saddlers urged to make a final efffort

Jon Macken today called for one final push in Walsall's fight for survival.

The Saddlers host Hartlepool on Saturday and know a win could boost them out of the League One drop zone.

They sit fourth from bottom going into the final nine games of the season — locked on 36 points with 20th placed Dagenham.

Macken insisted the Saddlers haven't run out of steam after one win in five games and said: "We definitely believe we've got enough left.

"We believe we've got enough in the team and the squad to push on.

"That's what we're hoping to do on Saturday. When Dean (Smith) took over everybody had written us off but we knew as a team what we could do."

"We are giving it our all and hopefully the fans and everybody around the club can see that.

"Hopefully we can come away with the results that keep us up.

"It's going to be difficult but we are up for the fight.

"Saturday at Yeovil was a good point because nothing has changed in the division but we want to get three points in every game and we believe we are good enough to do that. That's what we're aiming to do."

Just five points separate the bottom six but, despite being in the drop zone having played more games than their rivals, Macken insisted the Saddlers control their destiny.

"It's tight but it's in our hands and we know that," said the six-goal striker. "We just hope to go into the next set of games with the right mental attitude, the right level of performance, the right fitness and the right officials officiating the game."