POPE IS JUST HEAVEN-SENT!
NEIL ASPIN singled out Tom Pope for special praise after the striker bagged his sixth goal in four games to earn Vale a third straight win.
The veteran striker, 32, popped up in the 25th minute to lash the ball past Christy Pym to inflict a second straight home defeat on promotion-chasing Exeter.
Aspin has guided Vale to three wins from his four games in charge, dragging them out of the drop zone in the process.
The Vale chief beamed: “Tom is bang in form. It is great to see him scoring goals and his confidence is flying.
“He is always a threat and I am delighted with the way he has played since I have been here.
“I am delighted to get the result. We kept our shape and worked extremely hard.
“Overall we had the better chances and I thought we were professional and disciplined in everything we did.
“We have taken three steps towards trying to pull away from the bottom of the table.
“Every game is a battle but we are making progress.”
Vale sprang out of the traps as Ben Whitfield and Danny Pugh both tested Pym with fierce shots.
Jayden Stockley wasted a glorious chance to put Exeter in front when he headed wide.
Moments later Vale took the lead after Pope gathered David Worrall’s pass and rifled the ball beyond the despairing reach of Pym.
The Exeter keeper came to the rescue with a stunning finger-tip save to keep out Whitfield’s 30-yard free-kick.
Troy Brown thought he had headed Exeter level on the hour mark but the defender was flagged for off-side.
Stockley headed wastefully over before Grecians defender Pierce Sweeney was denied by Kelle Roos.
Exeter’s hopes of grabbing a point were dashed when Jordan Moore-Taylor blasted a freekick a whisker over the crossbar and Liam McAlinden fluffed his lines.
The visitors pressed forward in the closing stages in search of a second but Cristian Montano was twice thwarted by Pym.
And Grecians boss Paul Tisdale hopes his side can rediscover their early season form, having taking just one point out of the last three games.
He said: “I didn’t think we were bad out there, but the first goal is the crucial starting point which made it difficult to come back into.
“I’d like us to have done more with the pressure at the end to get a goal.
“I am concerned because I am a professional and want to do the best I can every week.
“Am I concerned with regards to the whole season? No, it has been a poor week or two and we have to make sure it stays at that.
“I have been doing this long enough to know that you are not going to get everything your own way in what is a long season”