Claude Gnakpa aims to fire revival for Saddlers

Claude Gnakpa today declared he is ready to ride to the rescue after netting his first Walsall goal.

The winger opened his Saddlers account after his summer move in Saturday's 1-1 FA Cup draw at Dagenham.

He is now eyeing an extended first-team run and reckons he can fulfil his potential and drag the Saddlers away from danger.

"I'm very happy, I've been waiting for the goal for a long time and I'm sure the fans will be pleased with it," said the 28-year-old, with Walsall in the League One drop zone.

"Hopefully now I can carry on and score more goals. I want to kick on and still work hard. I want to get back into the starting XI and move forward.

"When I was feeling better I got injured and after that I needed to find my sharpness but now things can turn around."

Gnakpa's 76th-minute header was cancelled out by Jon Nurse's stunner five minutes later to leave the Saddlers facing another FA Cup replay for the right to host Millwall in the third round.

It extended Walsall's unbeaten away run to four –- and three straight games – and Gnakpa insisted they are on a roll.

"We haven't lost for three games. I'm positive, we're positive and hoping we can carry it on against Charlton on Saturday," said the former Luton and Peterborough star.

"We're very pleased to still be in the draw, it was the most important thing – it was the talk of the manager. We can do better and when I scored we were the better team and could have got the result but it didn't happen.

"The manager was a bit disappointed but positive about us still being in the draw."

Manny Smith added: "They had a game plan, but we defended well, tried to keep the ball and stood our ground," he said.

"As a team we are working hard and proving to be difficult to break down and beat."