Oisin McEntee lauds Mat Sadler for Walsall's transformation

Walsall have collected six wins in a row in the league for the first time since 2005 to climb 12 points clear at the League Two summit. 

The Saddlers are also unbeaten in 13 league matches and signed off for 2024 with a 2-0 victory over Newport County at Bescot on Sunday courtesy of Nathan Lowe's second half brace. 

McEntee has been a peripheral figure this season after struggling for minutes since recovering from a calf injury in October. 

The Irishman has featured from the bench in the past four games and has praised Sadler for the instrumental role he has played in the transformation of the club over the past 18 months.

He said: "What we're seeing this season is what we all saw every day on the training ground last season. That's why we believed in the gaffer and all owed it to him to work hard. 

"We always will run through brick walls for him. You can see this season that it's all just come together nicely. 

"The gaffer probably needed time to get his players in. He has now and everyone is just performing for him at the minute.

"It all started in pre-season (the improvement Walsall's shape off the ball) when it was just battered into it. 

"Now it's just second nature to press and everyone knows their jobs and the boys coming off the bench know their jobs."