Newport v Walsall preview: Mat Sadler focused on Walsall's threats in tough test

Sadler puts that down to Newport's tactical switch and while he expects a tough game, he is fully focused on what his Walsall side to do to hurt them.

"It's the league, it's the relentless nature of it, we've just got to make sure we put ourselves in positions to try and pick up points and pick up results," Sadler said.

"That's what we're allowed to do in every game that we try and approach.

"It's another tough game on the weekend, a different challenge again. In Newport, they've slightly changed their style and I think it's really helped them in the last couple of weeks.

"It's brought about a different emphasis on the way that they play and I think it's really helped them.

"I'd suggest they were a different team to what they were two or three weeks ago.

"Going away to Newport at any time of the season, you know it's going to be a difficult place to go. So it doesn't change anything for us in terms of the way that we approach it and in terms of how we want to be ourselves and play our game and play the way that we want to play.

"It doesn't change anything from that point of view."

Despite a small blip, Walsall remain at the top of the table, ahead of Swindon on goal difference.

Sadler is not concerned about recent losses, as he aims to go one step further this season and achieve promotion.

"The season's a long, drawn-out thing," Sadler added.

"14 games in, you've got 30-odd more still to go and in some games you're going to play well and win and in other games you're not going to play so well and lose.

"We just have to keep putting ourselves in the position to be in and around it in each and every game. Be in the positions to try and pick up the results that our performances warrant.

"I have to say in the last two games we've done exactly that. We haven't come away with three points in each one that we would have hoped to and probably deserve to, but being consistent with the way that we think and go about things.

"We just have to keep trying to put ourselves in the positions in each game because every single one of them is different, every single challenge is different.

"We've just spoken already about Newport, they're a different team from two weeks ago so that challenge is a different challenge come Saturday.

"We just have to keep on grinding and finding ways of trying to pick up points, trying to put ourselves in the right positions, come the time of the season that it counts and keep trying to just grind things out and that's the message in that many respects.

"We haven't quite picked up in the last two games, the twelve previous to that we have. We have to just keep believing in our consistency, our team, our players, our shape, our group and our belief and togetherness in each other."