Dean Smith: Saddlers can finish the job

Boss Dean Smith today dismissed Walsall's FA Cup stumble and insisted the Saddlers can finish the job after they were held by Dagenham.

The Saddlers drew 1-1 at Victoria Road on Saturday and must go again a week tomorrow for the right to host Millwall in the third round.

Dagenham had lost eight on the bounce to sit second-bottom of League Two and only scraped past Bath City – bottom of the Blue Square Premier – 2-1 after a replay.

Claude Gnakpa's first Walsall goal put them ahead but Jon Nurse's equaliser forced a replay and Smith insisted staying in the hat was vital.

He said: "It was disappointing not to win the game because we took the lead but – and I don't care who goes there – it's a tough place to go.

"We've not been in sparklingly form ourselves and we're still in the draw, which is the main thing for us. We're looking hard to beat and proved it on Saturday but the disappointment was taking the lead and not winning.

"We should have gone on and won the game – especially being as comfortable as we were – but it was a fantastic goal from Dagenham to get a draw. When we scored I thought we were going to go on and win it.

"People can look at league form but there are always surprises in the FA Cup. We knew John Still's team were a tough side but we'll go again at the Banks's."

The Saddlers have drawn four straight away games and are three unbeaten in all competitions but Smith bemoaned their Cup luck.

"It was a last-minute goal at Exeter (a 1-1 first-round draw) but we beat them at home and now Dagenham have scored a fantastic goal – two great goals have got both teams a draw," he added.

Substitute Ryan Jarvis was sent off in injury time – just six minutes after coming on – when he caught ex-Norwich team-mate Michael Spillane in the face.

And Smith conceded that, while the striker hit the defender, there was no malice. He said: "I got a few different reports and the assistant referee told us it was a fist in the face. I've seen it and his arm was up when he made the challenge so there was contact but it was certainly not a fist."

The replay is at the Banks's Stadium on December 13 (7.45pm) with tickets £12 (adults) and £6 (concessions).