Jason McCarthy: We are at a Walsall turning point
Jason McCarthy insists Walsall will use their battling victory over Bolton to kick-start a charge up the League One table.
The 10-man Saddlers produced a display full of grit and character to overcome Phil Parkinson's side on Saturday, despite seeing Joe Edwards surprisingly sent off after just 16 minutes.
Edwards was dismissed for an apparent elbow on Chris Taylor, a decision the Saddlers board have now appealed in a bid to get his three-game ban lifted.
Despite the decision, Walsall still had enough to overcome a Bolton side tipped for promotion. And McCarthy believes the performance answered a lot of questions about Jon Whitney's new-look team.
"The Bolton result is the perfect way for us to kick-start a good run now," he said. "We were really up against it. But we dug in and showed our battling qualities which I think is what people were questioning.
"Everyone knows we have match winners, players like Erhun Oztumer, Franck Moussa and Kieron Morris who can unlock a door.
"But we showed against Bolton we stick together and that we can be defensively sound. It was important for us to show that to the fans, to the media and to ourselves.
"It was a really, really good win for us and now we have to use it as a turning point that will see us move up the table."
McCarthy, who grabbed the only goal of the game in the win against the Trotters, started the match at right-back having mostly played at centre-half this season.
It's the position the 20-year-old shone in last season while on loan at Wycombe – with the youngster picking up the supporters' player-of-the-year award.
And the Southampton loanee admits it's a role he enjoys.
"I'll play anywhere for this club," he said. "But last season at Wycombe I got my rewards at right-back, I was player of the year there.
"I played 30 games at right-back, five in midfield and five at centre-half. Primarily I've been a right-back but I'll play anywhere for the gaffer."
Meanwhile, McCarthy admitted he was delighted to grab his first goal for the club.
"It was a really proud moment," he added. "I was delighted. And to get it in a game like that, a game that hopefully we will look back on and say that was the turning point – it was fantastic."