Smith keen to keep Butler

Walsall manager Dean Smith is hoping his skipper Andy Butler agrees to stay with the club next season after losing to Colchester.

Butler is out of contract in the summer and there have been rumours that he could be moving to next season's League One rivals Bradford or Scunthorpe. The Saddlers fell away in the race for the play-offs this season but Smith insists his team will mount another promotion challenge during the 2014/15 campaign. "His decision will have nothing to do with ambition at this club because we shall want to be going for promotion or the play-offs again," said Smith, whose team picked up an unwanted record following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Colchester as they ended the season scoring only 21 home goals - the worse tally in 60 years. "You end up in the league where you deserve to be. We have delivered some really good performances and shown a lot of promise, but unfortunately it fizzled away in the last six weeks. We have dominated games and failed to kill teams off. "Today was another example. We have had 17 attempts at goal and they have had four. Hopefully if we get the right players in for next season next season they will take the chances. We have played the least number of players throughout the league this season, which shows stability." A fluke goal in the 53rd minute gave Colchester all three points. An intended clearance by Walsall defender James Chambers crashed against the shins of U's midfielder Craig Eastmond and rebounded past goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell. The Saddlers had most of the play but, as usual, lacked a cutting edge. Although substitute Amadou Bakayoko saw a late effort cleared off the line for the hosts.