Just 12 months after their ignominious relegation from Division 1, with a team that should have been capable of staying there, the Saddlers are back.

Goals from loanees Kevin Harper and Trevor Benjamin gave Walsall the three points they needed to clinch automatic promotion at Notts County this afternoon, wiping out a goal from Jason Lee, whose team themselves were desperate for the three points in an attempt to get themselves into the play offs.

It doesn’t matter that this was very much a smash and grab raid by the Saddlers, as County had much the better of most of the game, but, once Craig Pead had to be replaced and Manny Smith came on in defense with the score at 1- 1, Walsall were the better side and, once Benjamin had given them the lead, they were able to hold on fairly comfortably, even though the referee added a massive five minutes of stoppage time.

The only downside were injuries to Gerrard and Pead, as that may leave us short in our push for the title, so fans will be waiting anxiously for news, but this is, above all, a night for celebrating.

The Fat Controller decided unconditionally to give his Man of the Match award to Kevin Harper, who was quite magnificent in the first half especially and would also like a mention for Stan P, who he says spent the entire game abusing Trevor Benjamin, up until the moment he got the winner, after which he changed his mind!

The Fat Controller reporting directly from the ground.

The Saddlers got off to a flyer this afternoon, in front of some 2,500 travelling fans, as they attacked Notts County from the start. They took a deserved lead early on, when a Kevin Harper volley was deflected over the ‘keeper and into the back of the net.

From that moment on, however, the Saddlers were pushed further and further back by a Notts County team themselves desperate for the three points in order to maintain their play off push. Both of the Walsall fullbacks, Pead and Fox, have been struggling to cope with their men and Pead’s error finally let in County, for Jason Lee to equalise.

According to the Fat Controller, this is not so much a matter of us playing badly, but of an excellent performance by our opponents, trying to maintain their promotion prospects, although he does say that Pead and Fox have looked very poor. Harper, on the other hand, is on fire.