Walsall 3-1 Fleetwood Town

Walsall's Tom Bradshaw needs one more goal to reach 20 for the season

Walsall kept themselves in the frame for automatic promotion from League One by beating struggling Fleetwood, who remain in relegation danger.

Top scorer Tom Bradshaw, Paul Downing and Romaine Sawyers scored to lift the Saddlers back to within three points of second-placed Burton Albion.

Walsall must win at Port Vale on Sunday and hope Burton lose at Doncaster.

Devante Cole got one back for Fleetwood, who will stay up with victory at home to relegated Crewe.

The Cod Army's superior goal difference over Blackpool means a draw is almost certain to be enough but, if they lose and their Lancashire neighbours win at Peterborough, Steven Pressley's side will go down.

Cole's late strike also tilted the goal difference a little further in Burton's favour, meaning that either Walsall would have to win by more than one goal or Burton lose by more than one goal for the Saddlers to go up automatically alongside Wigan.

Saddlers go hell for leather from the start

Knowing that nothing less than victory would keep their slim automatic promotion hopes alive, Walsall got off to a dream start inside two minutes when Bradshaw turned in Jason Demetriou's right-wing cross.

They doubled their lead on 18 minutes when centre-back Downing volleyed home Anthony Forde's left-wing corner.

Forde came close to scoring when his free-kick took a looping deflection off the wall and had to be kept out by Chris Maxwell's superb fingertip save.

After Bradshaw had headed wide at the start of the second half, Sawyers put the result beyond doubt when, after a one-two, he drilled a low right-footed shot just inside Maxwell's right post.

Bradshaw was denied a second when Maxwell saved brilliantly with his fingertips, before substitute Cole netted his equation-changing consolation, curling a low right-foot shot beyond home goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

Walsall interim boss Jon Whitney told BBC WM:

"I've just got this feeling that something special's going to happen and we've given ourselves a great opportunity. We've still got the momentum.

"I'm sure Burton realise that they can't switch off they now. They now know that they have to get back on it.

"I feel for Steven Pressley because I really like their staff and have a lot of respect for them but we need to get wins.

"They're a decent side but we were so disciplined and our energy levels were a credit to the players. Tom Bradshaw worked so hard for us that he deserved his goal."

Fleetwood manager Steven Pressley told BBC Sport:

"Our first-half performance left us climbing a mountain. We got a reaction but we were nowhere near the levels we have set ourselves, in all aspects.

"Now we have to pick ourselves up and get the right reaction next week.

"We think we're good enough but we now have to endure a pressurised week and come out on Sunday to see the job through.

"I would expect a committed performance from Crewe. I know their manager Steve Davis. He's a professional man and their result proved on Saturday that he's still got them working very hard."