How Scott Dann's Walsall breakthrough paved the way to the Premier League
February 3, 2007: Walsall were teetering on the brink of only their fourth league defeat of the season when Clayton Ince bowled the ball into the path of Scott Dann with barely seconds left on the clock.
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An abyss of space opened up in front of the young centre-back midway inside his own half and Dann duly sprinted into it. Two Rochdale players were left flailing in his wake and another succumbed to the slickest of side steps.
By this point, the goal was in his sights and he arrowed a low shot into the bottom corner to rescue a dramatic draw in front of 5,000 delirious Saddlers supporters inside Bescot.
Walsall would eventually go on to win the League Two title by a single point and Dann would have a winners' medal around his neck.
That might very well have not been the case just nine months earlier when his Walsall future was in doubt.
Dann had yet to establish himself in the heart of defence and was fifth in the pecking order behind Ian Roper, Anthony Gerrard, Allan Picken and Chris Westwood.
