MK Dons 0 Walsall 1 - match analysis

It was the end to a season which never got started.

One which began with big talk and finished with a big win and, the ultimate, big goal secured with relative comfort.

Safety was guaranteed following a season of struggle which at one stage threatened to be the end of Walsall in League One.

But Saturday's 1-0 win at MK Dons left them seven points clear of the relegation zone on 50 points – a point and a place better off than last year.

For where the Saddlers are, that has to go down as progress and they have finished just four points from mid-table comfort.

But it is why performances and results such as the weekend's are so disappointing.

Gutsy and confident, composed and classy, Will Grigg's fine first-half goal ended the season on high.

It was a performance which delighted boss Dean Smith but one which serves as a reminder of what they can achieve but what they haven't delivered. One good final-day win should not cloud the judgement over most of the other 45 League One games over the past nine months.

Sporadically, as on Saturday, Walsall have performed to the potential they profess to have but the hit-and-miss nature epitomises where they stand in the grand scheme of things.

Walsall should have survived, they were always good enough, and they end only eight points away from the top half.

Like the squad and manager have said, swap a few of those 20 draws for wins – something they easily should have done – and things look much brighter.

Which is why the summer trading will be as important as ever. The Saddlers are treading water and need a successful overhaul to rid themselves of the armbands and float away from danger.

Tomorrow, those out of contract will discover their fate and, after a disappointing season, there will be several worried about their futures.

There will be changes – although perhaps not as drastic as recent summers but Smith now begins to mould a squad which will be his and his alone.

He got his signings right when he needed to and, with a budget expected to be as restrictive as the last, needs to make his money go far.

The boss did that with the arrivals of Sam Mantom, Florent Cuvelier and Emmanuel Ledesma. Without them, Walsall would not have been so comfortable.

Did the trio save the Saddlers from the drop? Well, before Cuvelier arrived from Stoke in January, Walsall had one win in 14 games. Mantom's loan from Albion filled the gap left by the injured Adam Chambers and Ledesma scored four in his first five games. If those three didn't save them, you wonder who would have.

Their introduction ensured there was no late drama as Walsall finished a whopping seven points above fourth-from-bottom Wycombe. Victory on Saturday, and the Chairboys' 2-0 defeat at promoted Sheffield Wednesday ensured 19th-placed Walsall finished the job with ease.

In contrast to 12 months ago – the climax to the Great Escape – stadium:mk was low-key. Grigg's fine 18th-minute finish – the striker's first goal since October – settled a game in which the Saddlers always had a degree of control.

Ledesma should have opened the scoring before Grigg but was too cute when clean through and also hit the side netting.

Walker was a spectator and it was one of those days where the Walsall defence had 'solid' written all over it. Manny Smith and Andy Butler were imperious – the defence has never been a problem – as Walker was shielded. The goalkeeper has revealed he wants to continue and he wouldn't have had an easier game in his 19-year career.

His only action was whipping the ball off Charlie MacDonald's feet in injury time – only after Alex Nicholls had fired wide when clean through and Smith had a header cleared off the line.

It was as easy as they come for Walsall. Now, if only the whole season could be so simple.

By Nick Mashiter