Mat Sadler is up for Walsall scrap

Mat Sadler today declared the survival race wide open as Walsall's quest for League One safety hots up.

The left-back reckons Walsall have the edge in the basement battle – ahead of Saturday's crunch trip to Yeovil.

The Saddlers still have to play Exeter, Chesterfield and Rochdale – three of the bottom four – and are three points clear of the fourth-from-bottom Grecians.

And Sadler insisted, with 11 games to go, the fight to stay in League One is there for the taking.

"It certainly is. There's a three-point cushion between us and Exeter and we can look on points like Saturday's and say it's a valuable one," he said. "Personally I'm looking forward because it's so tight from us in 20th to Hartlepool in 10th or 11th. It's so close and it's fine margins. A couple of wins and you're up the table. I don't want to be too disrespectful but looking at Hartlepool on Saturday I can't see why they aren't fighting down at the bottom.

"I know they've got a few injuries but they were a very average League One outfit. There are a few teams who are having a stutter but they've got points on the board and it's definitely all to play for."

Wycombe boss Gary Waddock has said, with the third-bottom Chairboys on 33 points, they need less than 50 points to stay up.

The Saddlers escaped the drop with 48 last season – the first time in 10 years a team survived under 50 – but Sadler isn't prepared to speculate.

"It's difficult to say, there are 11 games left 33 points to play for," said the former Birmingham ace. "They would need to take 17 or 18 points which will be a tough ask to get to 50. Anyone who hits a little run or form can beat anyone.

"We were looking at the form guide and we're higher up than quite a few of the bottom teams – we were in the top five – so anything can happen. I'm not going to put a points target on it because we're better than that 50 points mark. We've got 11 games left and we're looking to win as many as we can."