Dean Smith deploys Saddlers spies

Walsall boss Dean Smith is set to deploy his spies as the Saddlers gear up to complete their Great Escape.

The manager is sending scouts to watch relegation rivals Dagenham at Peterborough and Notts County hosting Brighton to get instant updates tomorrow.

Smith takes his team to Southampton with League One safety in their hands as they sit a point clear of the fourth-bottom Daggers.

County are a point ahead and Smith needs to know what's going on around the grounds to plot the Saddlers' escape route.

He said: "You don't know what you're going to have to do so it's important we have them covered.

"I'll have people there on the phone to us because it might affect our decisions on the day.

"I'll be solely focused on our game and concentrating on what we can do to win.

"I won't be answering the calls - Jon Whitney will probably be listening and come and have a word with me.

"But if we're winning nothing matters."

The fifth-bottom Saddlers have come back from being rock-bottom on New Year's Day to stand on the brink of safety, but Smith insisted they must give it one last push.

He said: "We know it's been a massive achievement to get to this stage but for me it's only job half-done.

"The job is to stay in the league by hook or by crook - come 5pm tomorrow we want to be a League One team.

"We know if we win we definitely are that. It's important we're fully focused on attempting to win the game.

St Mary's is set for a 32,000 sell-out - with the Saddlers taking their full allocation of 1,700 - and Smith knows the Saddlers will have been written off by those outside WS1.

The second-placed Saints are all but guaranteed promotion thanks to a superior goal difference over Huddersfield.

Smith said: "I'm sure all the pundits are already saying it's a Southampton win and we expect that.

"Let's be honest with their budget their fans should expect it and expect promotion - but little old Walsall will go and put up a good show."