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Jon Whitney challenges Walsall players to go on another run

Jon Whitney has challenged his Walsall players to start another unbeaten run when they travel to take on Scunthorpe.

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The Saddlers slipped to their first defeat in five League One outings on Saturday as Bolton ran out 4-1 winners at the Macron Stadium.

A bizarre game in Lancashire saw Phil Parkinson's men score four times despite creating very little.

And Whitney has told his players not to dwell on the result ahead of the trip to Glanford Park.

"We have now got the chance to start another unbeaten run." the boss said.

"There was nothing in the Bolton game. Individually we could have defended better – but that is where we will improve.

"Bolton had a bit of fortune for the goals. We didn't get our luck but maybe we can cash that in at Scunthorpe.

"We lose as a team but the players gave their all.

"We didn't come out on top at Bolton but there were positives going into Scunthorpe and now we are determined to bounce back."

The trip to the Macron Stadium was particularly frustrating for James O'Connor – with the defender scoring an own-goal and then seeing a Liam Trotter strike deflect off him and into the net.

But Whitney felt there was little the experienced centre-back could do about the goals.

"The own-goal is one of them," the boss continued. "It happens sometimes. Trotter's goal is a deflection.

"But Jimmy, over the past few months, has blocked so many of them so we can't fault Jimmy.

"What's disappointing is that Bolton never carved us open. But they still scored. And it's very hard to come back form two goals down – we did it against Bury but you can't do it every week."

Walsall took the lead against the Phil Parkinson's side with a stunning Erhun Oztumer strike from 40 yards. And Whitney felt it was an even better goal than the one the creative schemer scored at Swindon from a similar distance.

"It was a great strike," he added.

"I thought that goal was even better than Swindon because it was a half-volley and very difficult to do."

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