Sean O'Driscoll: We know it's in our own hands

The Saddlers currently sit second in League One, one point better off than third-placed Wigan and with a game in hand.

O'Driscoll's side fell to a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to promotion rivals Millwall on Saturday.

But the head coach has shrugged off suggestions the loss will affect his squad.

"The players realise it (promotion) is in their own hands," O'Driscoll said. "I think there's a great deal of maturity among the squad and they know to not get carried away with anything whether you win or lose games.

"I think that's the key for us now in the last 17 games.

"The players are fine. We conceded a last minute goal against Blackpool and lost to Millwall and everybody's doom and gloom. "But that's going to happen, we're going to lose games between now and the end of the season.

"We just have to plough that middle furrow and not get too carried away when we win and too despondent when we lose."

Despite losing to Neil Harris's Lion's, one of the positives to come out of the game was the performance of 21-year-old goalkeeper Liam Roberts who was thrown in for his first team debut with Neil Etheridge and Craig MacGillivray injured.

And O'Driscoll was impressed with the youngster who previously shone during a loan spell with Evo-Stik outfit Gresley. "It is always difficult for a third choice goalkeeper to come in at the last minute," the head coach said.

"He made a routine save in the first few minutes that would give him a lot of confidence.

"The conditions were very difficult. They would have been difficult for Neil or Craig. But I thought he equipped himself well and he will be pleased with his debut."

Meanwhile, promising striker Jordan Murphy has had his one-month loan at Worcester City extended to March 12.