Matt Richards set for Walsall SOS

Matt Richards is ready to answer Walsall's SOS and insisted keeping the Saddlers up will be one of his biggest achievements.

'The Great Escape' is still on ahead of tomorrow's crunch visit of Hartlepool, with the Saddlers only in the drop zone on goal difference.

And eight-goal top scorer Richards believes survival would top his previous milestones.

The midfielder - an ever-present this season - is Ipswich's youngest-ever European player, having made his UEFA Cup bow in 2002 against Avenir Beggen aged just 17, also helping the Tractor Boys to the Championship play-offs in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

An England Under-21 cap also followed during his spell at Portman Road but Richards reckons keeping the Saddlers in League One would top those career highlights after the team were written off at Christmas.

He said: "It would be a big achievement, up there with the best. It's important to me. Walsall mean a lot to me, it's a club who gave me a second chance and I've loved every minute of it. I want to keep us in the league.

"From the position we were in it would be huge. People were writing us off but the confidence we've shown has turned it around. Hopefully we can continue that and make something good of this season.

"We've got to keep it going and fight off anything which gets in our way. It's all new to me, I haven't been in this position before and I don't want it to be the first time I go down.

"I'll do everything I can to make sure we avoid it. It would mean an awful lot, pride most of all. I've never been relegated and pride is important.

"We were eight points adrift so to turn that around and actually overtake people is a good achievement but we've still got a long way to go."

With the nine-game countdown starting tomorrow the Saddlers still need 14 points from the last 27 to reach 50 - the recognised mark for safety.

It's 'squeaky bum time' for Walsall but Richards insisted they must keep cool.

He said: "We can't get worked up about the next nine games. We've got to focus on one game and stay positive. We've got to believe in ourselves. The last few games have been frustrating but, compared to earlier in the season, we've done OK.

"Then we were going a lot of games without winning. We were on a dreadful run and weren't even performing. Since the gaffer (Dean Smith) has come in it's been different and it's been a great place to be around.

"Everyone is positive and full of confidence."

Hartlepool arrive without top scorer Antony Sweeney, out with a gashed ankle, while James Brown is also sidelined with a twisted ankle.

They have lost six of their last 12 games but still sit eighth, well clear of the drop zone, and Richards has been impressed with the traditional strugglers.

He said: "They have done exceptionally well. They have a good team and work hard together. It's going to be a difficult game but we're going into it trying to take the points.

"We need three points, no matter what it takes. We'll go into it like every game, focus on ourselves but we've got to take three points whatever way it comes."

The Saddlers have lost one in five to keep ahead of Swindon, Bristol Rovers and Plymouth at the bottom and Hartlepool assistant boss Richie Humphreys expects a challenge tomorrow.

He said: "They have been in and around the bottom of the table for a long time. But you often see sides pick up results after a change of manager.

"And Dean's done a great job so far."