Defeat was unacceptable - Mullen

Mullen was dismayed by his side's performance against Luton

Walsall manager Jimmy Mullen has described his team's performance against Luton as "unacceptable".

The Saddlers blew the chance to move closer to a first-ever Wembley appearance with Tuesday night's 1-0 Johnstone's Paint Trophy defeat.

Mullen told BBC WM: "It was unacceptable. I am very disappointed for the supporters that turned up.

"We never got started from the moment we kicked off and in my opinion we got what we deserved."

The Saddlers boss added: "Luton beat us on the night with a goal which caught us on the break from our set-piece, which was typical of the performance, not good enough.

"I've spoken to the players and said to them that performance is not good enough.

"I've looked at that performance level, which we do, and I've counted seven or eight players well below the level of performance that you would expect to win a game, so what chance have we got?

Demontagnac hasn't really fulfilled the promise as he should have done after that hat-trick

Jimmy Mullen

"I expect a response without a doubt because we have a tough game on Saturday.

"I am not being disrespectful to Mick Harford and his Luton players but we will have to be twice what we were tonight to get anything out of the game on Saturday against Scunthorpe."

Mullen also defended his decision to leave Ishmel Demontagnac out of the squad.

The mercurial forward has started only one game since scoring a hat-trick against Southend at the end of August.

"I have a squad of players which, since that game, have done very well but in performances since then, in my opinion, he hasn't really fulfilled the promise as he should have done after that hat-trick.

"Now a lot of people might be critical of what I've just said, but I'm thinking about a group of players that work hard on a daily basis, and I'm not saying that he doesn't.

"But I've said before, that one performance in six or seven or eight or nine is not good enough."