Preview: Walsall need to raise their game for Crawley game

The Saddlers have reaped the plaudits after Monday's scintillating 2-0 win over Peterborough United, which followed a 3-0 hammering of rivals Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup.

But Baxendale has warned there is no time to rest if Dean Smith's men are serious about maintaining a play-off push this season.

"We have to keep those performance levels up every week now. This league won't wait for anyone," he said. "If we want to make the play-offs, and we do, we have got to keep up with everyone and we have to be winning.

"We've got to be on our game tomorrow. Crawley are on a bad run of form, so they are going to come out at us. We have to be ready.

"It's nice to get the credit from games like Monday night, but we know the work we put in and we won't be getting carried away.

"If you take your foot off the gas, teams are not going to bow down to us.

"We've probably got to raise our game once again."

Baxendale believes the impressive starts of Wolves, Leyton Orient and Peterborough have left little room for error in the fight for a top-six spot. "If you look at it, there are two leagues – the top 12 and the bottom 12," he added.

"We went on a run last season and a team could do that again, an unexpected team could creep up.

"The top three have started off on fire; they have big squads and you would expect them to stay at the top.

"We have to keep going out there and putting in 100 per cent every game just to stay with them. But I believe we can do it."

Despite his focus on the challenges ahead, Baxendale admits it was great to be a part of Monday night's game.

It wasn't the first time the Saddlers have bloodied the nose of one of the division's more-fancied sides this season, having already got the better of Wolves and Swindon.

But such results and performances do not occur by accident. Smith's modern approach means his team go into every game knowing exactly what to expect from the opposition, thanks in no small part to the efforts of analyst James Troup.

That still means the players have to carry out the job, but Baxendale believes the detailed approach allows them all to be fully focused.

"The two analysts we have here are very good and the gaffer and Rich prepare us really well," he said.

"Credit to the lads, we carry it through. There is very good information given to us before the game, so we have a good idea of what we want to do.

"The detail is good; if we want to know individual stuff against opponents, we can find it out. Come game time, we are all switched on."

The Saddlers have been generally good and at times excellent on their travels, although they lost their last away game 1-0 at MK Dons.

Smith must decide whether to stick with the XI who impressed in the past two games, or revert to the three-man midfield which has served them well away from home.

That would mean a recall for Nicky Featherstone in place of either Milan Lalkovic and Romaine Sawyers.

Crawley have just one point from their last five games and have seen on-loan midfielder Kyle Bennett return to Doncaster Rovers.