CLARKE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO TOUGH TESTS ON THE ROAD

PORT Vale boss Darrell Clarke is relishing the challenge of backto-back League Two away games against promotion contenders. The Vale dropped to 20th with Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to leaders Cambridge and have little time to recover before tonight’s game at ninth-placed Salford (7pm) and Saturday’s trip to a Cheltenham side who are third. But Clarke’s side matched Cambridge until Liam O’neil’s 85thminute long-range winner and the manager is looking forward to a challenging week.

He said: “Salford and Cheltenham are two tough tests but this makes you or breaks you.

“I am relishing it so my players had better be relishing it.

“We will go there against a team that needs to be up there and is fancied to be up there and has a very good manager in Richie (Wellens).

“We are looking forward to it, we are not dreading it.

“We are going to go up there and try to win the game and take it to them.”

Clarke is hoping to have Cristian Montano back in contention for this evening after the left-wing back was taken off at half-time on Saturday as a precaution with a slight injury.

Meanwhile, winger David Amoo is also close to a return from a hamstring injury.

Clarke has praised his team’s effort in all three of his games in charge but feels they have been short of quality.

However, he doesn’t want to labour that point because he says confidence is also important. He explained: “The effort has been outstanding. However the quality has been lacking.

“I think they are better players than they are showing on the ball at times and (it is) trying to get that out of them while dealing with the pressures of trying to win games.

“The players feel that pressure, I understand that, but for me pressure is a privilege.

“The players are in a privileged position and the manager is in a privileged position to get that pressure and be able to do something about it.”