Dean Keates: Walsall ready for ‘ultimate six-pointer’

The Saddlers, who are 18th in League One, travel to Boundary Park where they will face a Latics outfit currently sat one place below them in the table.

With just three points separating them in the division, both teams know tonight represents a huge opportunity to pick up points in their battle for survival.

Walsall enter the game looking to register back-to-back wins after they overcame rock-bottom Bury on Saturday.

But while that win boosted their survival hopes, Keates knows tonight’s game is just as crucial.

“Without stating the obvious, it’s the ultimate six-pointer,” the boss said. “For us to go up there having beaten Bury, if we can pick up another three points we go six points clear of Oldham.

“It will be another team that we have pushed away.

“But we know it’s going to be difficult.

“They will be looking at us and thinking if they can beat us, they will go level on points with us.

“They are a team that tries to play and they have got some decent players. Eoin Doyle up front is a threat and you have got Jack Byrne in midfield who can pick a

pass.

“It’s going to be a tough game. It’s two teams who don’t want to lose the game and if I’m being entirely honest it might be a little bit edgy.

“But we will go there to give a good account of ourselves and come back with some points.”

Walsall’s victory over Bury saw them end a run that had seen them lose their last four.

It was also Keates’ first win since he returned to the club.

And the boss feels it has given everyone a boost.

“It’s going to give everyone a bit more of a spring in their step,” the manager continued. “We won our first game in a fair few.

“And we are in a batch of games where we need to be picking up points.

“I think we deserved it overall. The lads kept going and showed the right desire. That’s all we can ask. We got the points, it’s gone.

“We have learnt from it, put it to bed and now we are ready for Oldham.”

Keates opted for a midfield diamond formation in the victory over the Shakers.

And he will continue to tinker with systems depending on the opposition. The diamond gave us some options,” he said. “I won’t give too much away as to why I used it.

“But at the time I thought it was going to work in our favour.

“You analyse the opposition, they (Bury) changed their tactics and went to a back three so you are second-guessing each

other.

“For us, it was about getting more attacking options on the field. But things change.

“Now we have another difficult game coming up and you have to look at things and adapt to every team you come up against,” the manager added.

Keates withdrew Florent Cuvelier and Justin Shaibu in the win against the Shakers. But he said he took them off as a precaution with only long-term absentee Joe Edwards missing for tonight’s

game.

“Everyone is fine,” he added. “We have got a full bill of health. Flo and Justin have not played too much so it’s just been a case of protecting them.

“When fatigue kicks in, you can start picking up problems with muscles, it was more

precaution.”