Walsall loan winger Martin Devaney keen to prove point

Martin Devaney has spent most of his career at Cheltenham and Barnsley

On-loan Walsall winger Martin Devaney is determined to prove a few points after feeling sidelined at Barnsley.

Devaney has made only one start for the Tykes in two months this season.

But he made an immediate impact for the Saddlers on his debut against Exeter on Saturday, being voted man of the match in bottom club Walsall's 2-1 win.

"I showed what I'm all about," said Devaney, after supplying the cross for Matt Richards' 43rd minute strike, which proved to be the winner.

He also won the man-of-the-match award as Chris Hutchings' men ended a run of seven defeats in eight matches.

That lifted Walsall off the bottom of League One and out of the relegation zone.

"The gaffer was under a little bit of pressure. They haven't been on a good run at all," Devaney told BBC WM. "So to change that and get that good feeling back in the dressing room is fantastic.

It's great to get man of the match and get an assist, and just be a flea in Mark Robins' ear

Walsall loan signing Martin Devaney

"I've been stuck at Barnsley for a while now and I've been itching to get out and play games.

"This opportunity has come about and there's no point sitting around if you're not being given a chance.

"It came to a point where I had to get out and play and get back in people's minds instead of sitting around." Hutchings simply encouraged him to use his flair to add a different dimension to a Saddlers team that had been struggling in recent weeks.

"He's seen a bit of me in pre-season, I played against Walsall, so he knew what I was about," said Devaney.

"He said to me 'just get the ball, get at them and use your pace and your skills and try and be a bit different for us'. He said he's been missing a little bit of quality and today I've come up with a cross and Matty's put it in.

"I'm really pleased, not just with myself but the team performance."

Devaney admitted that at the age of 30, he feels he needed to find first-team football quickly.

"I definitely did. I've been out the picture since Mark Robins took over at Barnsley. I haven't played much football under him.

"So maybe I'm out to prove a point to a few people - not myself because I know what I can do.

"But it's great to get man of the match and get an assist, and just be a flea in Robins' ear."