Saddlers still on the lookout for lucky break

Fortune favours the brave but Walsall feel even that has deserted them – despite their guts.

It is fair to say the Saddlers haven't enjoyed much luck this season.

They go to Sheffield Wednesday tonight wronged after Saturday's luckless 2-1 defeat at Yeovil proved one of their biggest gripes of the season, that they haven't had the rub of the green.

But that's not to suggest they are locked in a League One relegation fight because of it.

Their lack of goals and the odd poor performance have contributed to their woes but Jon Macken insists their lack of luck has been overlooked.

"Over the last two years we've been very unlucky in certain games," he said, with Walsall a point above the drop zone. "Instead of getting totally outplayed and outclassed we've been unfortunate but I guess every team can say that when they are down the bottom.

"It's easy to say, if we had won this or that game, where we'd be but we've just got to move on and hopefully get the points in the next few games, which are crucial ones, to see us safe.

"It's a crazy thing, we can highlight games which we should have won when we've been leading and we didn't.

"We could have got 12 more easy points - probably more – which would have got us up to sixth or seventh. Look how tight the league is and how unfortunate we have been this season.

"We've done OK. Certain games haven't been up to standard but that's football I'm afraid, that's the football season – it happens."

But one of their results of the season came when they struck twice in injury time to beat Wednesday 2-1 on Boxing Day.

Manny Smith and Claude Gnakpa – who switched to Inverness in January – scored in a dramatic finale and Macken believes the Owls will be hunting revenge.

"Too right they will, at the end of the day it's a tough game anyway but it's a division where you can get results at these big clubs," he said.

"Look at Sheffield United away (a 3-2 defeat after leading 2-0). It's another game we should have won. The performance levels were right up there."

And Macken admits it is human nature to raise your game in grand arenas like Hillsborough especially after the enclosed space of Huish Park.

He said: "It shouldn't happen but we all like playing at big grounds in front of big crowds. That's the hard bit but if we succeed it will push us right up the league and give us a good building block for the next four or five games.

"The majority of teams in the division aren't too far away from each other. It's not like last season where there were two or three well clear. This year it's an even playing field."

Richard Taundry is still out with a hamstring injury while Adam Chambers could return to the squad if he shakes off an ankle infection.

Wednesday skipper Rob Jones could miss out with a neck injury picked up in Saturday' 2-1 win at Notts County with Reda Johnson or Miguel Llera in line to replace him.

And boss Dave Jones has warned his third placed promotion chasers they must match the Saddlers' fight if they want to win.

"They are struggling, they need points to survive and we need points for different reasons," said the former Wolves manager.

"They are not going to come here and lie down. It will be a tough battle.

"We have watched some of the footage of their game against Yeovil.

"They have got some good players who can cause you damage if you are not aware of them."