Dean Smith calls for full focus

Boss Dean Smith today urged Walsall to forget about their relegation rivals after they failed to escape the drop zone.

A 1-1 draw with Stevenage on Saturday was the Saddlers' 18^th of the season and left them a point from the League One safety line.

Fifth bottom Wycombe's late equaliser in their 1-1 draw with MK Dons kept Walsall rooted in danger but Smith insisted the Saddlers cannot afford to lose focus.

"It evens itself up and we have to make sure we keep going and concentrate on ourselves," he said. "The disappointing thing is in the last three games we've picked up two points and feel we deserve a lot more than that.

"But it's gone now, the Sheffield Wednesday game was put to bed and we focused on Stevenage who didn't surprise us.

"It was a point gained on Saturday, it has to be because before the game we had no points and we've taken one. We're disappointed because we've taken the lead and we said at half time that if it was a scrappy game we needed to make sure we came in at 1-0.

"We knew what it was going to be like and we hoped football was going to be the winner with our midfield getting on the ball and controlling the game but we couldn't do that."

Andy Butler's early opener was cancelled out by Michael Bostwick's 60^th minute stunner after a physical Stevenage side out-muscled the Saddlers' midfield. But Smith didn't blame the visitors' robust approach for Walsall's failings.

"I don't think it was a lesson, it's a game they (Florent Cuvelier and Sam Mantom) won't see too many of being at Premier League teams but Stevenage are good at it," he said.

"When they get the ball Flo and Sam can play, we know that, but you have to give the other team credit for stopping them."

And keeper David Grof admitted Walsall couldn't find top gear as they stayed 21^th.

He added: "We lacked a bit of quality to finish them off. They were pretty similar to Sheffield Wednesday because they put a lot of long balls in but Manny (Smith) and Buts did well. In the last few games teams have either scored scrappy goals or wonder goals and there's not much I can do."