Mixed emotions for 'gutted' Walsall manager after draw against Chesterfield - reaction

The Sadlers led twice but had to settle for a 2-2 draw at the SMH Group Stadium on Saturday.

"I think if you had said 2-2 before the game we probably would have taken it,” he said. “But I think we have shown what a good team we are. We are all a little bit gutted not to have won the game. We are disappointed not to have won the game.”

The Walsall boss felt his team were perhaps on the end of a couple of wrong decisions which could have swung the result in their favour.

He explained: “I haven’t see it back, but the one Connor (Barrett) scores, people are telling me it was onside. And I think it is a stonewall penalty at the end. The ref said he didn’t see it and he apologised if he got it wrong and I think he has.”

Spireites manager Paul Cook made four changes with 25 minutes remaining, bringing on James Berry, Ryan Colclough, Paddy Madden and Jenson Metcalfe and they helped get Chesterfield level.

Sadler said: "They made four changes in the second-half and it probably took us a few minutes to get to grips with what they were doing and their changed shape and they got their goal during that period.”

Walsall lost 6-2 to Fleetwood Town last Tuesday but Sadler said he didn’t want to ‘throw his toys out of the pram’ and change too much for the visit to Derbyshire. The draw takes the Sadlers to the top of the table after 10 games.

He added: "When you have got a manager like Paul (Cook) saying such nice things about us after and before the game, I feel like we are on the right path and we have to keep believing.

"I know we are a good team, but most importantly we are a together team. There are going to be so many challenges this season. There is a long way to go.”