James O'Connor handles Walsall pressure
Walsall defender James O'Connor is all too familiar with the pressure that comes with being in a race for automatic promotion.
Eight years ago, the commanding centre-back was part of the Doncaster Rovers team that began the final day of League One season sat second in the table.
But a 2-1 defeat away at Cheltenham saw fourth-placed Nottingham Forest leapfrog both Rovers and Carlisle to clinch an automatic spot in the Championship.
Now O'Connor is hoping he is on the other side of the coin with the Saddlers having two games to try and reel in Burton.
It was starting today with Saddlers hosting Fleetwood, in a match picked by Sky for live television coverage.
Any victory for the Saddlers will ensure the promotion race goes down to the final day, with O'Connor having warned Burton the pressure is on.
The 31-year-old said: "I have been on the other side of it. I have been sat in second place and going into the into the last game. We ended up losing and we did get a bit twitchy.
"It was Nottingham Forest, who started the day fourth, who actually came through so it goes to show anything can happen."
Because of his past experiences, O'Connor is doing his utmost to stay calm despite the excitement that currently surrounds the Saddlers.
He said: "I'm the boring one who is staying calm about things and just taking things game by game. All we can do is beat Fleetwood and make sure we keep it alive.
"That way, whatever happens we take it to the last day. But we are a team who plays well in pressure situations.
"We have come through a lot this season and I think it tells you a lot about the lads that we are still fighting at the top end of the table.
"We had a disappointing defeat at Bradford last weekend – we let ourselves down that day. But we bounced back against Shrewsbury.
"Now we have to take that resilience into the last few games and see where it takes us."
O'Connor, who hails from Birmingham, eventually went up with Doncaster through the play-offs back in 2008. And he admits winning promotion with the Saddlers would be special.
He added: "It would be one of beat achievements in football. Walsall is one of my local clubs so it would mean a great deal to me and my family."
