Walsall focused on hitting their targets against Chesterfield
SADDLERS boss Jon Whitney believes having ‘something to play for’ this season will focus the minds of his players against Chesterfield tonight.
Whitney believes his side face a tough test as they prepare to take their impressive home form into the game against the Spireites – who remain five points from safety in the League One drop zone.
Saddlers have won five straight games at the Banks’s to put them in with a shout of achieving a place in the play-offs.
They remain nine points off Millwall in sixth and Whitney believes his side face a similar battle to that posed by fellow strugglers Oldham on Saturday. Walsall left it late to claim all three points in the 2-0 win over the Latics and the boss said: “I’m expecting a similar resilient and tough game as we got against Oldham. “I said these would probably be our two toughest games of the season bearing in mind what everyone is playing for. With that in mind, it’s great that we are playing for something.”Gary Caldwell got his first win in his eight games in charge at the weekend at Swindon and Whitney added: “I’m expecting a tough game against Gary’s team. they’re off the back of a confidence-boosting late win against a relegation rival in Swindon so they’ll be taking that forward. “I thought they played really well. they were very well-organised. Gary is a very well-respected young coach and manager and I know it will be a true test for my players, but it’s one we’re all looking forward to.”Whitney goes into the game looking to break through his self-imposed 50-point barrier before then looking to close in on the play-off spots.
“We take each game as it comes but we are after targets,” said the boss. “We have to have targets, we have to have objectives – and our objectives are the possibility of going eighth and breaking the 50-point barrier and going six games on the bounce.
“ I know they’re all just words, but it’s nice to have something to play for so we’ll be doing everything we can and it won’t be through a lack of trying.”
Walsall look set to have Matt Preston back in their ranks after he was ruled out with a back injury against Oldham. Whitney added: “He will be okay for Tuesday. He fell on his back last week. It seized up a little bit. “It’s improving but he didn’t train Thursday and we needed to work on shape with some personnel. He’s fine for Chesterfield though.”
