THE MONTH of April started with a Saddlers' invasion of the seaside as almost 1,500 supporters took advantage of the Easter weekend to see us take on struggling Torquay United.

Colin Lee's side were clinging onto their Football League status by their fingertips and a goal from the on-loan Trevor Benjamin plus a Dean Keates penalty within the opening 16 minutes gave them a real mountain to climb.

Our hosts rallied after the break and pulled a goal back through Reuben Reid but we were able to hold on to claim three precious points.

We were back in action 48 hours later as mid-table, Hereford United visited Bescot Stadium.

They proved to be well-organised and determined opposition and it looked like we were going to have to settle for a share of the spoils until Dean Keates lashed the ball home with just seven minutes to go.

Having taken maximum points from our Easter matches, we headed for Notts County knowing that a Walsall win coupled with results going in our favour elsewhere would see us promoted with three games still to play.

Another large and vocal travelling contingent was in attendance to see Kevin Harper open the scoring with a superb strike from outside the area.

County needed the points to keep alive their own hopes of reaching the play-offs and Laurie Dudfield's equaliser just before half-time sent them into the break in upbeat mood.

However, we knuckled down to keep our hosts at bay and with 84 minutes on the clock, Trevor Benjamin strode through before calmly slotting home to seal victory and clinch promotion.

Our next game saw us entertain struggling Bury knowing that victory would take us back to the top of the table for the first time since the middle of February after rivals, Hartlepool United had been held to a home draw by Notts County on the previous evening.

Unfortunately, The Shakers - who were desperate for the points to haul themselves away from relegation danger - hadn't read the script and put in a committed and resolute performance that yielded a deserved 1-0 victory thanks to Tom Youngs' first half goal.

It meant that we had to pick ourselves up for the visit of Wrexham seven days later as the Welshmen provided the opposition for our final home game of the campaign.

Once more, we were playing against a side who still had the prospect of relegation hanging over them and they proved to be extremely difficult to break down as they battled hard for everything.

In the end it took a goal from the lively Ishmel Demontagnac just past the hour-mark to separate the sides as the youngster made his first start of the season.

The victory took us back into top spot going into the final week of the season as we chased our first League Title in 47 years.

Going into the final match of the season at promotion hopefuls, Swindon Town we knew that we only had to match Hartlepool's result against in-form Bristol Rovers to be crowned Champions.

With almost 3,500 Saddlers supporters in attendance at the County Ground on that bright and sunny May afternoon, things looked to be going against us as Jerel Ifil scored the goal that Swindon's pressure deserved seven minutes into the second period.

As Hartlepool had the lead against Bristol Rovers it looked increasingly like the Title was heading north until two goals for The Pirates and a last-gasp piledriver from Player of the Year Dean Keates changed the picture completely.

Our 1-1 draw was enough to take the title as the celebrations amongst both players and supporters alike went on long into the night.

It was a fitting end to what had been an impressive campaign for Richard Money's men as we secured promotion into League One at the first attempt.

BY BEN LOWE