Michael Flynn will not give up on Walsall play-off dream despite another draw

Posted Wednesday, February 22, 2023 by PA

Walsall boss Michael Flynn is refusing to give up on the Saddlers’ play-off hopes despite their draw habit continuing with a 0-0 stalemate at home to Crewe.

The deadlock was Walsall’s fifth straight draw and their sixth in seven games, leaving them seven points adrift of the top seven, albeit with games in hand.

“I was pleased in a lot of aspects but it is not quite falling for us at the moment in the opposition box,” said Flynn.

“I’ve just said to the players we’ve got to keep believing. Win the two games in hand and we are one point off the play-offs.

“People might say we don’t look like winning a game but we should have won the last four in a row.

“We are not far away. We’ve got a team that is hard to break down and we’ve just got to improve in that final third.”

Walsall, however, have scored just twice in seven games since 15-goal on-loan leading marksman Danny Johnson returned to parent club Mansfield in January.

“We haven’t got an endless pot and can go out and sign whoever we want like some do in the division,” added Flynn.

“We’re having a goal-scoring slump but I’m sure it will come back. We are missing Danny because he scored 15 goals. You can’t hide from that and I’d be stupid to stand here and say that.

“But we are still putting decent balls into decent areas and it is just about doing it consistently.”

Isaac Hutchinson enjoyed Walsall’s best chances against Crewe but impressive 18-year-old debutant stopper James Beadle, signed on loan from Brighton in January, was equal to them.

The Alex were second best but had chances to win it with a Dan Agyei goal ruled narrowly offside and Walsall goalkeeper Owen Evans spectacularly denying Rod McDonald at the death.

“Both teams could have probably been here all night trying to score – we just didn’t have the end product in the second half,” said Crewe boss Lee Bell.

“All in all it was a really pleasing performance again and a good point. I’m really proud of the players for the effort they’re putting in over this period – some of them are really on their last legs.”

On handing Beadle his debut, Bell added: “It’s been something over the last couple of weeks that I’ve thought about.

“I thought he was really sound and handled the occasion really well. He has a really sound temperament and that’s his main asset as a goalkeeper and he backs himself.

“He actually pulled me last week saying he was ready to go – 18, new surroundings for him, so real credit to him. We just thought tonight was the right time to bring him in.”