Skipper hails striker impact

Tommy Mooney believes that Walsall could reap the benefits of having an experienced striker alongside him to shoulder the goalscoring burden.

Stefan Moore became the skipper's eighth different strike partner of the season after Carneiro, Butler, Demontagnac, Deeney, Ricketts, Nicholls and Betsy all had at least one opportunity to claim a regular place next to Walsall's 10- goal top scorer.

Mooney is hoping that Saturday could be the start of a productive partnership.

"It's easier for me to play with somebody who knows the ropes," said Mooney.

"He's played at a good level and he knows what the game is about.

"The young lads have come in and they are learning their trade – don't get me wrong, they're not naïve.

"Nicholls and Deeney are good players, but Moore knows the role and it's easier for me.

"The goal we scored on Saturday is a typical example – the ball came up to one front man and after a touch off, the other goes and finishes it."

The skipper admitted that Walsall were nowhere near their best, but the defeat of Luton typified the kind of results that the Saddlers will need to grind out if they are to achieve their ambition of promotion to the Championship this season.

"It was a great win for us," Mooney said.

"It was not a game for the purist, but nevertheless it was another three points away from home.

"It was a poor performance, but a fantastic result and we'll accept that at this stage of the season.

"That's the sort of result that anybody who's won a promotion in their career knows you have to go and get – play messy, but get the three points and that's what we did.

"I don't mind if there are another 11 matches like that – I'm not bothered as long as I get a medal."

Manager Richard Money Money said it had been a gamble to play Moore,

"He hasn't played too much in the last two months, but we always hoped that if we could create a chance for him, he'd stick it away, which he did," he said.