Walsall boss Mat Sadler has hailed his team’s fighting spirit as they scored twice without reply on the way to victory over Chesterfield in their League Two Play-Off Semi-Final, First Leg.
The Saddlers opened the scoring via Taylor Allen's eleventh goal of the season — this one coming via the penalty spot — before Alfie Chang made it two with six minutes of the first-half remaining, leaving the Spireites stunned.
After seeing a once commanding lead at the top of the table disappear into a fourth-place finish, fans would have been forgiven for expecting their team to struggle to lay a glove on their in-form opponents, but they more than rose to the occasion.
Speaking to the assembled media, Sadler said: "I have got an unbelievable group.
"We have had that all season, and I have had that in every single game. When maybe we had not won games, we were on top in a hell of a lot of games.
"Sometimes the rub of the green goes the other way. What my group does, and what our group does — they never give up.
"We never feel sorry for ourselves. I have said it before, and I will say it again, we are fighters.
"We never feel sorry for ourselves. I have said it before, and I will say it again, we are fighters.
"We are not victims of anything, and we will keep fighting. I thought that was a fighting performance from us.
"We had to do it in loads of different ways. I think our defence were rock solid at times, but as a team we were really resolute and connected.
"When you come up against Paul Cook’s Chesterfield team or any team led by him, they will test you in loads of different ways because he knows what he is doing.
"He is a fantastic manager and person. We have to get ready now for what will be another completely different game on Friday night."
Quotes: Express & Star.