Sam Mantom ready for a battle

Sam Mantom today admitted Walsall have set up a "massive" game with Chesterfield after their Rochdale recovery.

The Albion loanee insisted the Saddlers now face a huge test against the rock bottom Spireites after they lost a 2-0 lead at Spotland to draw 3-3 on Saturday.

Only Andy Butler's last-gasp leveller salvaged a point after Dale went 3-2 up in injury time and Mantom knows the Saddlers must now beat Chesterfield at the Banks's on Saturday.

"The game is probably the biggest of our season," he said. "They're struggling but they'll come to us confident after winning the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

"They lost 4-1 (to Scunthorpe) on Saturday but are fighting for their lives and have something to play for. There's no pressure on them because if they come out with something it's a great achievement.

"But we're confident going into every game. We picked out the positives from Saturday but there are a few negatives we'll have to pick out. It's a point gained but the Chesterfield game is massive."

The Dale draw – Walsall's 19^th of the season – kept the Saddlers two points clear of the League One drop zone.

It could have been better after Emmanuel Ledesma and Joe Widdowson's own goal put them 2-0 up at half time.

Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro's brace and Michael Symes' penalty almost won it for Dale before Butler's late header and midfielder Mantom was left with mixed emotions.

He said: "It was one of those awkward feelings where you think you've done well but you haven't. We conceded three goals when we should have won the game.

"Once you score three you expect to get something from the game and we have – but it should have been more.

"We knew three points would have been massive but to come away with something is a bonus. In the second half we were pretty poor and made some poor decisions but that's something you have to learn from."