Dean Keates admitted the result was all that mattered after the Saddlers’ dramatic 1-0 victory over bottom club Bury.
Adam Thompson’s 89th-minute own goal sealed a crucial win – the boss’ first as Walsall manager – and moved us five points above the relegation zone.
“For us, it’s about points - that’s what today was about,” said Keates.
“If we had got a performance on top, that would have been a bonus.
“I thought first half we were the better team. In the second half, they probably had the better of it.
“We knew it would be tough. Lowey [Bury boss Ryan Lowe] gave them a bit of a blast after their performance [against Rochdale] on Tuesday night and asked for a reaction.
“They made it difficult for us and when you’ve got someone with the presence of Hanson up top, it’s always going to be difficult.
“It was a little bit edgy – you could sense that second half.
“We got into good areas in the second half but our final ball wasn’t good enough, or people were passing up opportunities to have a shot.
“Maybe just a little bit of confidence was lacking, but we kept going.
“It was an own goal but we’ll take it as we needed something.
“If it was an own goal or went in off someone’s backside – they all count.”