Loft’s Valiants late show leaves Moore the merrier

DARREN MOORE was delighted to celebrate a first win as Port Vale boss as Ryan Loft struck late on to secure victory at Burton.

Moore, appointed as Vale manager on February 13, had failed to win any of his opening eight games in charge but Loft’s 83rd-minute effort earned a vital three points.

“I am delighted,” Moore said, reflecting on a performance which pulled the Valiants to within three points of safety after a first win of 2024.

“It has been a long time coming and we have been close but getting it over the line, to get those three points, at a time when we really need it, was excellent.

“Lofty scoring was brilliant. We are pleased for him. His all-round game was huge for the team.

“He gave us a target-man up front for us to hit and he drove the team forwards so for him to get the goal in the manner that he did earned us a huge three points.”

While Moore was a relieved man, Burton boss Martin Paterson could only watch on as his side suffered a fifth straight home league defeat, a run in which they have only scored once as they have been dragged firmly into the relegation scrap.

“It leaves us in a real dogfight,” Paterson said, with his side in 19th position in the table.

“At the moment we are missing so many opportunities. I can’t stress enough to the players the magnitude of what is going on. At the moment we look like a group that just think they are going to be okay.

“We need to put the results and performances in. It was always going to be a tight game and yet again we have come out on the other end of it and it is not good enough.”