Express & Star

Dean Keates: Walsall's biggest game yet

Boss Dean Keates has billed tomorrow’s showdown with AFC Wimbledon as the biggest game of Walsall’s season as his team look to take a big stride toward safety.

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After following up last Saturday’s win over Bury with a point at Oldham on Wednesday night, the Saddlers face their third ‘six-pointer’ in the space of a week when the Dons visit the Banks’s Stadium.

Walsall sit six points clear of the League One drop zone with five games to play and Keates, who replaced Jon Whitney in the hotseat last month, knows a victory would edge him closer to his primary aim on taking the job.

“The short term goal when I got the job was to make sure we stayed in League One,” he said. “We have got four points out of our last two games. We have got a big game at the weekend. Wimbledon is the biggest game of the season now.”

Keates has taken encouragement from the spirit shown by his players over the last two games.

“They showed passion, commitment and desire to keep that clean sheet in the second half,” he said.