Walsall analysis: Saddlers slip off League Two summit after costly defeat
How quickly the pendulum swings in football? Or in Walsall's case did it always feel inevitable that eventually they would relinquish top spot in League Two?
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Two wins from the last 16 games paints the picture of their struggles since the end of January.
At that point, Walsall had just put together a club record nine-match winning streak and had gone 16 games without tasting a defeat.
That established a commanding 12-point lead at the top which they have somehow managed to lose in little over two months.
A pair of draws against AFC Wimbledon and Doncaster Rovers provided hope but they ended the afternoon in third as Port Vale and Bradford City overtook them.
Doncaster Rovers also beat Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road in the other early kick-off to close the gap from fourth spot to just two points.
If Rovers were to win their game in hand against Salford City later this month then Walsall could find themselves dropping out of the top three altogether.
Every point matters and seven draws from the previous 11 before kick-off helped them cling on to top spot.
But the lack of wins has ultimately led to their downfall and the margin for error is as tight as ever as they head into the final five games as one of the chasers rather than the league leaders.
