Matthew Taylor believes the only way is up for Walsall after they finally answered his demand for a “complete performance” by brushing aside Colchester.

Otis Khan scored twice – a close-range finish from Brendan Kiernan’s cross and a first-time strike from 15 yards – on his first home league start before setting up Jack Earing to head in the third.

The 3-0 victory moved Walsall up to 12th, five points off the play-offs places, where Taylor thinks they should already be positioned.

“We’re five points short of where we should be. We’ve given goals away this season that we shouldn’t have and we haven’t been ruthless enough in front of goal,” said Taylor.

“But, on the whole, am I pleased? Yes – but there is still so much to come from this group of players. This team can do whatever it wants to do, it’s just about consistency.

“What we got today was something that I’ve been asking for for a long time and that’s a complete performance, and that’s why we were comfortable winners.

“I thought we were a real threat. We looked strong and powerful. There was an intent to our performance and I am very, very pleased.”

Khan has signed a short-term deal until January and Taylor is keen to keep him beyond that.

He added: “Otis has had to wait a long time, probably longer than he would have wanted. But he’s got a huge amount of ability.

“He was more than happy to take a short-term contract because he believed in himself. He fits the ethos, the characteristics I want at the club.”

Colchester, meanwhile, were left to rue a slice of bad luck at 2-0 down when Walsall goalkeeper Carl Rushworth allowed Junior Tchamadeu’s drive to squirm past him only for it to hit a post.

U’s boss Hayden Mullins said: “I didn’t see that coming. I didn’t think we started well and I think the goals we gave away, especially in the first half, were very cheap.

“It’s always going to be an uphill climb from there and I thought we started better in the second half, we had a real go and there was a real key period when Junior (Tchamadeu) hit the post.

“That’s when you understand it’s not going to be your day. That would have been key for us as a team to really then put them under pressure.

“If we get that goal, we are back in the game. We would still have had a lot of time to get a second. But we were always chasing it from there and the back door was open.

“I just think it was one game too far today, coming off a bit of an intense run.”