Supersub looking to fire for the Saddlers

George Bowerman today insisted he wants to ditch his super-sub tag and urged Dean Smith to let him fire Walsall to safety.

The striker is eyeing a key role in tonight's crunch trip to relegation rivals Scunthorpe after another goalscoring substitute outing.

He netted his third of the season in Saturday's vital 2-0 win over Wycombe after coming off the bench as the Saddlers kept in touch with the fifth bottom Iron.

They are three points behind Scunthorpe, who occupy League One's final safety spot, and Bowerman wants boss Smith to let him loose tonight.

"The gaffer knows how I feel about it. He knows I want to start but I respect his decisions," he said.

"Obviously I would like to be starting and I haven't started a game for the club yet.

"But the gaffer feels I am a good substitute to go on and try to change a game and I've got to accept that at the moment. Hopefully if I keep scoring goals I will get starts and I can do it from the beginning.

"Hopefully I can keep getting on, scoring my goals and trying to change the game. Then one day I can get a start and take it from there."

Saturday's win was the Saddlers' first of 2012 and just their fifth of the season and kept them three points from the safety line.

But Scunthorpe's 3-1 win at Leyton Orient maintained the Iron's slender lead over Walsall.

And Bowerman, who signed a new 18-month deal in December, insisted the squad know the Saddlers must survive at all costs.

"There are a lot of us here from the youth team and we know what it means to the club to stay up and hopefully we can do it for them," said the 20-year-old.

"We know there are a lot of points to be had and games to be played.

"We haven't strung together two wins so far this season so hopefully there is no better place to start than Scunthorpe away.

"Saturday will give us some confidence and belief in our game and if we can do the same as we did on Saturday I see no reason why we can't get a win there."