Walsall hero Lalkovic has no interest in play-offs

The Boxing Day 1-0 win at Millwall, in which Lalkovic scored his seventh goal of the season, saw the Saddlers leapfrog Burton and reclaim pole position.

And Lalkovic insists the top two is where they now intend to stay. He said: "We want to get promoted – we are first, we don't even look at the play-offs.

"If we keep playing the way we are playing, we will do it.

"It will be up and down, results won't always go your way but it is how you react. This season we have reacted, when things go wrong we have won the next game."

Lalkovic reckons an added maturity, coupled with a new-found physical edge, is helping to drive the Saddlers promotion charge, after they withstood a late barrage from the hosts to preserve three points at The Den.

"Sometimes you can't play nice football but this season we are winning games which are tough and physical, which shows how far we have come," he said.

"We are older, people have been through different experiences. And we want to go up, we want to play at a higher level.

"A number of us came from Premier League academies and we are working to maybe get back there one day.

"The best way to get there is to get promoted and that is what we want."

The strike against the Lions means Lalkovic has now beaten his previous best single season goal tally. And the 23-year-old is determined to add more.

"I'm more clinical this season, definitely," he said. "I could have had more goals already. "

Meanwhile, Romaine Sawyers is set to delay a decision on his Walsall future until the end of the season after contract talks with the Saddlers.

His contract expires at the end of the season.