Mission accomplished for Walsall boss Dean Keates

Posted Wednesday, May 02, 2018 by PA

Walsall manager Dean Keates was delighted to see his side achieve their objective as League One survival was secured with one match remaining following a 1-1 draw at Bradford.

The Saddlers went into the match needing a point to be sure of avoiding relegation and held on for a share of the spoils at Valley Parade.

Keates, who succeeded Jon Whitney, said: “I came here with eight matches left with the prime aim of staying in League One and we have done that with one game to go.

“Although we needed one point to stay up, the objective was to try to get three points. We were never going to come here looking for a point. If you do that you leave yourselves open.

“We played well in the first half and scored a good goal. We were disappointed to concede just before half-time, but full credit to Bradford – they put us under pressure in the second half.

“But we were well-organised and difficult to break down. The players showed a lot of character and put their bodies on the line.”

Walsall went in front in the 22nd minute with a smart, opportunist goal. George Dobson won the ball in the Bradford penalty area and tried a left-foot shot across the face of goal which looked to be going wide. But Amadou Bakayoko dived forward to head the ball into the net, earning the praise of his manager.

Keates said: “He was in the right place at the right time. He is a creative talent if we can get him on the ball.”

Bradford, who had rarely threatened in the first 45 minutes, equalised on the stroke of half-time through Matty Lund’s close-range header.

Bantams manager Simon Grayson said: “The first half was disappointing. We didn’t have a spark about us or a tempo. Walsall got a goal and were well-organised and disciplined. They had a good shape and were hard to break down.

“We got a break with a good goal and played with a better tempo in the second half. We deserved to win the game, but we didn’t take the chances that came our way.”

Grayson paid tribute to 36-year-old Stephen Warnock, who is set to play the last game of his career at Scunthorpe on Saturday.

“He is a fantastic professional and trains like he plays,” Grayson added. “He is a fantastic role model for all the young players at our club from Under-12s upwards.

“He is a model professional and received a fitting tribute from our supporters when he was substituted. He can look back on his career with pride.”

The match was preceded with a minute’s silence in memory of the 56 people who died in the Valley Parade fire disaster in 1985 and both captains laid wreaths.