Alex Nicholls: We deserved a point

Alex Nicholls today admitted Walsall "rode their luck" at Carlisle but insisted they deserved their priceless point.

The striker's late penalty earned the Saddlers a 1-1 draw at Brunton Park to record their 13th draw of the season.

It moved them a point above the relegation zone and extended their run to two defeats in 11 League One games.

And Nicholls believes Walsall earned their luck after a sluggish opening period in Cumbria.

He said: "We rode our luck at times and they looked much the better team in the first half. But if you look at the last 20 minutes we could have nicked a win ourselves.

It would have been unfair on Carlisle but we could have won it.

"We've been solid as a team over the last six or seven weeks. They got through us a few times but we came back, got the goal and the point.

"We didn't create a great deal, it was difficult conditions in the first half and it was hard playing into the wind. But take the first 10 minutes of the second half away and we looked a good team."

The 24-year-old netted his sixth of the season – on his 200th Walsall appearance – after Andy Butler was brought down by Frank Simek nine minutes from time.

He cancelled out Lee Miller's early opener and admitted he was desperate to exorcise the memory of missing in the Saddlers' FA Cup spot kick defeat to Dagenham last month.

"I'm chuffed to have played 200 games and even more chuffed to get the goal to get us a point. It was a difficult game," he said. "They've done well at home recently and it's a long way to come but it's another point.

"After what happened in the Cup against Dagenham I wanted to put that right so it was pleasing it went in."