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After defeat at Brisbane Road, a share of the spoils at Underhill, a comprehensive thrashing and an odd-goal reverse at Griffin Park, and a nasty little game at Selhurst Park made up the previous five visits to various stadia of our Capital, the travelling red army could have been forgiven for thinking that defeat was maybe more than a foregone conclusion.
Millwall. The name conjures up several recent memories. Jimmy Walker and Jorge Leitao receiving their marching orders partly courtesy to a cheeky little cockney fella named Wise. Defeat in the Auto Windscreen's area final on our own patch. So the victory today, over the now Byfield-less Lions has maybe gone a little way to righting some of the wrongs that Millwall vs Walsall has thrown us over the past decade.
What do we know? Junior Mawete and Edrissa Sonko made the bench. We scored first. Danny Fox again hits the back of the net and becomes our season's top scorer. A beautiful overhead kick, in off the bar, ably assisted by a somewhat-fortunate-to-be-in-the-starting-eleven-given-his-recent-performances Darren Wrack. Ian Roper gets himself injured. His season takes yet another twist, it really has had everything in the first month. Sonko comes on, more about Mr Sunshine later. Ishmel comes on. Ishmel goes off. Why? Who knows.
In between Ishmel's half hour cameo, Millwall inflict a usual Walsall past-time, a late equaliser. Everyone hopes we hold out for the away point. But on comes Troy Deeney for Demontagnac and with his first touch manages to stick a boot on a ball from Sonko and three points are on their way back to the Banks's. Happy days. What's more, it is the fifth successive defeat to be meted out to the New Den faithful already. What price now on a rapid Willie Donachie exit from Colin Lee's old office after this result?
Delighted? You bet. Unanswered questions? A few. How odd that a player who comes on as a sub gets subbed himself unless there was an injury?
Did Ishy take a knock or is there more to this than meets they eye? Is Paul Hall really good enough to be starting up front? Is it not time now to be looking at our other personnel, most of whom were warming our bench at kick off today? And did Dicky Dosh see Troy Deeney scoring today's winner in his tea leaves, or was it just an inspired piece of substitution work?
To heck with the questions. They can wait. For now, I'm looking at the league table with the satisfaction of knowing the following.
a) Leeds United are still below us. (At least until next Saturday!)
b) Next week's opponents will be starting to suffer the familar squeaky-bum syndrome that we were feeling on the build up to today's game.
c) We are only 4 points off the playoffs.
There is still a way to go. Its a marathon, not a sprint. The odd baby step here and there and maybe this squad will start to produce.
I say, bring on Oldham. We might just be ready for you.