Dean Smith hails Walsall's comeback kings
Walsall manager Dean Smith hailed his side's "outstanding" spirit after they moved to within one tie of Wembley with a thrilling penalty shoot-out triumph.
The Saddlers won in sudden death at Tranmere after the Johnstone's Paint Trophy area semi-final finished 2-2 and the shoot-out was locked at 4-4, after five penalties each.
Paul Downing scored the winning penalty and Smith's men, who were 2-0 down at half-time tonight, will now play Preston or Notts County over two legs with the club's first Wembley appearance at stake.
Smith said: "I was quite calm all game. We started the game really well and at half-time I was shell-shocked that we were 2-0 down.
"I told the lads 'you can accept it or you can do something about it.' In the second-half, we were outstanding.
"It became an end-to-end game, we cleared one off the line and Tom Bradshaw had a chance, and it was great to win the shoot-out.
"It was a great strike from Michael Cain to equalise. I am proud of the players for their application in the second half because it would have been so easy to go under at 2-0.
"I know what this means to a lot of people at the club and we're not there yet, we've got two big games to go yet.
"It's a huge incentive, but Notts County and Preston are good teams so it will be really tough. But I'd fancy us over two legs against anybody."
The Saddlers were 2-0 down at half-time, after two goals in the final eight minutes of the first-half.
The first came in spectacular fashion from midfielder Max Power, before Kayode Odejayi added a second.
But Walsall's comeback began on 63 minutes when half-time substitute Anthony Forde scored to make it 2-1 and, with 10 minutes remaining, on-loan midfielder Cain hit a superb drive to level.
