Walsall win definer for Darren Byfield

Comeback king Darren Byfield has labelled Walsall's home win over Hartlepool as the defining moment in their survival fight.

The striker marked his first start for six months, after making a full recovery from a long-term knee injury, with a goal in Walsall's 5-2 fightback victory on Saturday which kept their League One survival hopes alive.

Dean Smith's heroes rallied from 2-0 down to stay in touch with their drop rivals and Byfield insisted the win will be key.

He said: "When we stay up – not if – we will look back and realise that could be the game which kept us up.

"People will go away and say 'great win' but no-one is looking at how bad it could have been. I've been at clubs where people start hiding – it's easy to hide when you pretend you want the ball and you don't but everyone wanted it.

"It's so easy to come back if you're top of the league but when you're fighting as we are it's one of the best performances I've been involved in.

"It really was something special.

Byfield bagged the equaliser as the Saddlers scored five in 31 second-half minutes but admitted he is yet to find top form after his spell out.

He said: "It wasn't my best game but in the second-half I felt better. It's going to take a while but if I can keep getting goals and not playing well then any striker would take it."