The manager, who has been able to improve the performance of the defence since he replaced Jon Whitney at the helm, admitted that the club's league position is a little better following Oldham Athletic and Rochdale's respective midweek results but they have to take something from their upcoming games.
Dean, who was speaking via the Express & Star, said; "We’re accountable for what happens in the next three games. It’s still in our hands. We control what league Walsall Football Club is in next season. We spoke to the lads before Tuesday’s night games and we said – no matter what happened – we were still in control of our own destiny.
"The league table looks a little bit better for us but we are in charge of what we do. We have got a massive game against Northampton. It’s probably the biggest game for a couple of years for the football club. All being well we’ll get the points we want."
Walsall-born Keates then went on to discuss last weekend's disappointing defeat to Scunthorpe United, insisting that his side were unlucky to leave the match without at least a point, he continued; "It was disappointing – really disappointing against Scunthorpe. I walked into their manager’s office after the game, and I know it’s easy for them to say but they felt we were unlucky and they’d got out of jail. They were impressed with us and how we worked together as a collective unit. We were hard to break down.
"The players were disappointed but we have to give the lads some credit, they gave it a right go and I think we made a team that is in the play-offs not look like they should be there. That is a positive for us. But obviously, we didn’t get any points. We have learnt from it, it’s another individual error. If we can eradicate them in the next three games we will be OK."