Football Hack: Walsall 1 Huddersfield Town 1

Florent Cuvelier made sure Walsall were safe before giving a thought to his own future.

Cuvelier, 19, scored his fourth goal for the League One strugglers in the 49th minute to help keep the Saddlers in League One with one game to spare.

Belgian U-21 midfielder Cuvelier met defender Mat Sadler's cross from the right and then skipped past defender Sean Morrison before drilling home his fourth goal of the campaign.

And with other results going their way, Walsall can now relax and play the final game knowing the equaliser has helped secure League One football next season.

Classy midfielder Cuvelier joined the Saddlers on loan from Stoke in January, but revealed his deal with the Premiership side ends this June. He said:

"It was always my dream to play in England. I had the opportunity to join Portsmouth when I was fifteen and I took it knowing I might not get another chance.

I hope that Stoke will give me a new contract, but I'm quite relaxed about it. Tony Pulis said he is pleased with the way I've been playing and progressing which is nice to hear.

But the only thing I've been thinking about is making sure Walsall stayed up. I'm so happy for the fans, players, the staff, the manager - everybody.

This experience can only help me. I've learned how to for a win, play with pressure and fight to stay in the league at a young age. I definitely became a better player.

I knew from the start that we would stay up. Everybody's had the right attitude on the training ground and on the pitch."

Relieved Walsall manager Dean Smith admitted his team have under-performed and said:

"It's been a case of fine margins this season. We've had to keep plugging away and showing belief and we've done that. It's a success that we're staying in the league, but not one we really want to celebrate. The reality is that the club has been fighting relegation and we should have been better than that."

Lee Novak had opened the scoring for the visitors as Huddersfield warmed up for the play-offs.

Terriers boss Simon Grayson rested four players and left 38 goal hit man Jordan Rhodes on the bench, but strike partner Novak took less than two minutes to put the visitors ahead.

Midfielder Scott Arfield deftly scooped the ball over the defence and Novak buried his sixteenth goal of the season from just inside the box.

Winger Alex Nicholls should have pulled Walsall level three minutes after Novak's opener, but fluffed a sixteen yard effort by firing a low shot straight at keeper Ian Bennett.

And Nicholls should have scored a winner in the 94th minute when he dragged a shot wide of the far post from sixteen yards, but by then Cuvelier's goal had proved enough to edge Walsall to safety.

And Grayson revealed he is preparing to unleash his star man in the play-off games. He said:

"Jordan was quite happy with the decision because he has carried the goal scoring burden for the club this season. We gave him a breather and we may do the same next week and then he will be ready.

We now want to finish the season I front of our own fans on a positive note when we take on Yeovil next week.

This was a contrasting performance. We started very well, but in the second half we were a bit sloppy and let them back into it."