Saddlers boss is feeling worst pain of his career
Dean Smith today revealed his pain at Walsall's Scunthorpe shocker and admitted it is his lowest point as a manager.
The Saddlers were battered 4-1 by the 10-man Iron to extend their winless run to nine games and drag them closer to a League One relegation scrap.
And Smith, who has been in charge for 98 games and signed a new two-and-a-half year deal last week, insisted last night's home defeat hurt him.
"It's as painful as it's been as a manager – certainly standing on the side 4-0 down – and I've told the players that," he said, with Scunthorpe's David Prutton having been sent off just before half-time.
"You can only talk and analyse the game so much and you've still got to go over the white line and do your job. There were too many players who were not at it.
"The disappointing thing was when the third goal went in. We went out on the pitch after the sending-off and we felt it was a chance to get back into it. The soft goal we gave away right at the start of the second half jolted everyone."
Defeat dropped the Saddlers to 16th in League One – five points above the drop zone – ahead of Saturday's visit of Swindon.
Will Grigg netted in stoppage time after Niall Canavan's double, Mark Duffy and Leon Clarke's tap-in had done the damage for the Iron, who were winless in eight before last night.
Mal Benning was given his debut as a second-half substitute while Jake Jones made his full bow before being replaced at the break.
Smith was keen to give left-back Benning a game after Ben Purkiss was ruled out with a hamstring injury. He said: "I wanted to introduce Mal because we needed a left-footer on there. He's a good player, a good footballer but he's young."
