NOW THAT’S QUALITY!
Clarke’s delight as Vale add goals to hard work
PORT Vale boss Darrell Clarke says his team are starting to show the quality he has been asking for after a 3-1 victory at Crawley made it three wins on the spin.
The Vale moved up a place to 18th, nine points clear of the relegation zone, after a worthy win added to their victories at home to Newport and at Colchester in the last fortnight.
Captain Tom Conlon fired them into a 13th-minute lead but the home side levelled against the run of play through Ashley Nadesan a minute before the break.
But Vale came out strongly in the second half to clinch the win thanks to goals from Nathan Smith on 65 minutes and Dave Worrall on 76.
Clarke was impressed by his team’s resilience.
He said: “That is the most pleasing thing for me. We were talking to them at half-time, saying don’t mentally be weak now just because they have got a lift before half-time. Let’s make sure we go out there and win the game.
“We have had to defend well at times and we have put together quite a few chances in the game so I am really pleased with the three points.
“My boys have given me everything. They have since I have come in the door, and now we are adding that bit of quality to win football matches.”
That said, Clarke says he has only just started on the job of turning the team around.
He said: “I can’t speak highly enough of the lads as things stand, but it is early days as a manager here so there is a hell of a lot of work to be done.
“We are getting fitness levels up a bit and are starting to show a little bit of quality which is pleasing. But I am certainly got getting carried away.”
The Vale return to action at home to Exeter City on Friday before travelling to Harrogate three days later.
The manager had selected an unchanged starting side, making just one change on the bench as Alex Hurst replaced Scott Burgess. But Burgess and Tom Pope both travelled.
Pope is closer to a return after making his comeback from injury by playing for the reserves in a behind-closeddoors win at home to Hereford last Monday.
That was his first game since breaking his arm and damaging shoulder ligaments in the EFL Trophy defeat at Sunderland on January 12.