Dean Smith counting cost of defeat

Boss Dean Smith today insisted Walsall need points not plaudits and admitted their freak Yeovil defeat was "gut-wrenching".

The Saddlers lost to two fluke Glovers goals in their 2-1 defeat on Saturday to end their six-game unbeaten run.

Anton Peterlin's late own goal and Andy Williams' equaliser – after Jonathan Franks' effort deflected in off him – sunk the Saddlers to leave them a point above the League One drop zone.

And Smith admits the fifth from bottom Saddlers need points after their valiant efforts in Somerset.

He said: "There are a lot of positives but we're after points at the moment and we've come away with nothing.

"I said to the lads that's the unbeaten run over and we start again tomorrow and look forward to that game (at Sheffield Wednesday). We'll dust ourselves down.

"They were two fluke goals, two bizarre goals. You'd be gutted to have one of them against you but two on the same day is gut-wrenching."

Albion loanee Sam Mantom's second goal in three games put the Saddlers ahead just before the break before Franks' shot looped off Williams and over David Grof in the second half.

Peterlin turned in with seven minutes left under pressure from Williams to allow fourth from bottom Wycombe to close the gap and Smith knows there is no margin for error.

"It was always going to be close. What we were trying to do was emulate what Yeovil have done and start pulling away," said Smith, who handed Emmanuel Ledesma a start after the Argentine re-joined on Friday.

"You only have to look at what they've done, they've won eight in 12 games and we pushed them all the way. They scored two fortunate goals to stop us getting the three points.

"The disappointing part was we didn't finish them off when we had the chances – and we had some really good ones. We'll keep creating chances and hopefully we can start another run tomorrow.

"I always felt there was another goal in it and I thought we would have got it. They were frightened to death of Alex Nicholls' pace, he got in numerous times behind them we got in some great areas but didn't kill them off."