Walsall manager Dean Smith has praised his side for holding off a second-half fightback from Rochdale before running out 3-2 winners on Tuesday night.

After opening up a 3-0 advantage at the break, the Saddlers conceded twice in 18 minutes after the restart before claiming the three points, and despite seeing his team come under pressure in the closing stages, Smith was delighted to strengthen their bid for a playoff place.

The 43-year-old is quoted by the Express & Star as saying: "The first-half performance was outstanding. Were we hanging on a little bit at the end. There were a lot of balls going up and we were a little bit loose on the ball.

"However, we have scored three goals at home and won the game. The objective was to get three points and that was the most important thing."

Walsall currently sit in 10th position in the League One standings but they find themselves just three points behind fifth-placed Oldham Athletic.