O'Donnell out to cut down Blades - WATCH the video of the Walsall keeper's amazing save

Yet even the Saddlers goalkeeper would have been forgiven for a measure of hyperbole when discussing one particular moment from Saturday's FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury, writes Matt Maher.

Ten minutes before half-time, with his side down 1-0, the 26-year-old made the kind of once-in-every-few-seasons save which had most of the 3,546-strong crowd open mouthed.

James Collins looked certain to score when he met Micky Demetriou's cross four yards out. O'Donnell not only kept it out with his legs while in mid-air, he also regained his footing in time to jump back and push the ball away after it had crashed back down onto the top of the bar.

A dramatic moment, reviewed by O'Donnell in his typically measured way.

"I think I did all the right things," he says. "Luckily it has hit my foot. I just tried to make myself big and luckily it didn't hit the bar and come back out. It was a good save."

"Good" as the stop was, perhaps more crucial was its timing. For the second week running, O'Donnell came to the Saddlers rescue near the end of the opening half with a save which would later be regarded a key moment in the match.

At Notts County seven days previously, he denied Mike Petrasso when the hosts had begun to dominate to keep the score at 1-1. Walsall regrouped and went on to win the game 2-1.

Similarly, Saturday's game would likely have had a very different outcome had the Saddlers gone two down.

"We felt we were in control of the game without playing our best and to come in 2-0 down would have been a real sucker punch," agrees O'Donnell. Tom Bradshaw eventually netted a 90th minute equaliser to send the tie to a replay and help the Saddlers maintain some momentum heading into tonight's Johnstone's Paint Trophy Area quarter-final with Sheffield United.

"Had we come in and lost the game we would have been really disappointed," said O'Donnell. "In the end we are happy we have got a replay and we are confident we will go there (to Shrewsbury) and win.

"We will move on now to Sheffield United in good spirits, looking to win that and progress through that competition as well.

"Saturday was a local derby and there was that added spice. On Wednesday we will have the TV cameras there so that is added again. But it will be a different game, different opposition but it is a game we are really looking forward to."

Facing the Blades always brings extra spice for O'Donnell, a born-and-bred Sheffield Wednesday fan who began his career at Hillsborough and still lives in the Steel City.

"It would be nice to beat Sheffield United, I'm not going to lie," he said. "We did quite well against them last year and took four points off them.

"Their manager has been changing the side round a bit for the JPT so whether he will again we don't know. If we play to our capabilities we can win the game."