Joe told Latics World, "I thought it was going to be a long 90 minutes when that first goal went in. The keeper's held his hands up and to be fair he made a brilliant save in the second half to preserve the win. After that first five minutes we were the better side, we passed it well and there's plenty for the new manager to take away. Sean Gregan was outstanding; he headed and kicked everything. But it's all about a young kid who's come on to get the winner. Ryan's a finisher and the most natural one at the club at that - now he just has to get stronger. It's a lovely thing to see him walking around with a big smile on his face after the game. And for me personally, I'm quite emotional because the fans gave me a wonderful send-off."
"Dean Smalley (pictured) took his goal very well. It's a difficult skill to volley the ball when it's dropping out of the sky but he tucked it away great. The boy's certainly got something. He's like a jigsaw puzzle - the pieces come out of the box and go everywhere. If he can put everything together then there will be a lot going for him. But it's all about Ryan. That's a great finish and with his weaker foot as well. I spoke to the Walsall youth team coach before the game and he said that Ryan would score. He's a lovely boy, he's a credit to his family and he wants to do well. His face at the moment is just a delight - a fantastic moment in a hard professional game. I'm not sure he earns enough money to pay tax at the moment, but he will soon."