Debut star Mantom hands credit to new team-mates

Sam Mantom today insisted Walsall made it easy for him to make an instant impact – just hours after signing from Albion.

The on-loan Baggies midfielder netted a stunning opener in last night's 3-2 win over Sheffield United as the Saddlers escaped the bottom four.

He only met his new team-mates five hours before the game and slotted into the Saddlers' midfield.

Mantom's 55th minute goal came from a training ground corner routine and he said his new team-mates made his debut seamless.

"I had good players around me, some of them were of a similar age and when you have those players it makes the job easier," said the 20-year-old.

"It was totally different to reserve team football but it's good to play against those sort of players and against the best team in the league. To get a result like that is a massive boost.

"It was a fantastic three points, everyone in the dressing room is absolutely delighted with it."

Jon Macken and Alex Nicholls struck their seventh goals of the season to cancel out equalisers from Lee Williamson and Ched Evans for the second placed Blades.

And Mantom insisted the Saddlers needed to be at their best to take anything from Danny Wilson's men.

"You know Sheffield United have always got a goal in them," he said. "They have Ched Evans, James Beattie to come off the bench and Richard Cresswell up front but we knew we could score, as we proved.

"It was a set-back when they kept coming back but it showed the spirit in the team.

"We knew they were going to come at us but we had to keep going, getting forward and getting crosses in. You knew they were always going to be dangerous."

Boss Dean Smith added: "We worked on that corner three-and-a-half hours before kick-off would you believe. He didn't quite get it into the top corner at the training ground and we're really pleased it came off."

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