Goals from Kieron Morris and Rico Henry were enough to secure victory for The Saddlers, in their League One clash with relegation battlers Shrewsbury on Tuesday night.
The win sees Walsall close within three points of fellow promotion chasers Burton, with both teams having two games left to play in the 2015/16 season.
Without victory on Tuesday, Jon Whitney’s Walsall would have almost certainly been condemned to the unpredictable playoff tussle, however a critical three points boosts The Saddlers’ chances of reaching the second tier of English football for the first time since 2004.
After suffering a crushing 4-0 defeat away to Bradford on Saturday, interim boss Whitney gave a scathing assessment of his side’s performance, stating that his players “Have to man up. They need to show me who’s ready for the fight.”
Speaking to BBC West Midlands, Whitney was pleased with his side’s response following their hefty defeat only three days prior to Tuesday’s match.
“We were so disappointed on Saturday but we’re resilient. We showed character and we’re still in with a chance of automatic promotion.”
“It got a bit tense but we deserved to win overall. These players can handle pressure. I believe in them.”
With two games and six points left to play for, The Saddlers face another team desperate to avoid the drop in Fleetwood Town on Saturday. Walsall’s final game of the season takes them to Vale Park, where victory will be paramount if they wish to have any chance of clambering above Burton into the final promotion spot available.
Despite a significant drop in form over the last couple of months, Whitney and Walsall certainly haven’t given up their dreams of a top two spot quite yet, as the League One season reaches its nervy climax.
