WILSON DELIGHTED TO BE PLAYING HIS PART WITH RAMPANT VALE
Summer signing takes on senior striker role in seven point week for Valiants
PORT Vale striker James Wilson is enjoying playing a greater role in his team’s challenge for the automatic promotion positions.
The summer signing from Salford has started 12 of the Vale’s 14 league games but, in his earlier games, tended to make way when Darrell Clarke made second-half substitutions.
But the 25 year old, from Biddulph, played a key role as Vale picked up seven points from the last week.
He completed 90 minutes of the home wins over Barrow and Colchester as well as an hour of the midweek draw at Mansfield.
That’s fine with Wilson who has taken over the role of senior forward while seven-goal top scorer Jamie Proctor has missed the last two games with a stomach-muscle injury. Wilson said: “I think already it is the most successful season I have played minuteswise.
“I have played umpteen games on the bounce and am feeling good about it, and I think the goals are coming as well.
“So, on a personal note, that’s a really good thing. At the start of the season, I was playing 65, 70 or 75 but I have just done two 90 minutes in a week so I know I can do that with the work rate I put in.
“I just have to keep on top of that and work towards the next game.”
Wilson netted his third goal of the season in Saturday’s 3-0 win at home to Colchester, a result that sent Vale up two places to second ahead of Saturday’s game at Crawley.
Clarke changed formations from 3-5-2 to 3-4-3 on Saturday as on-loan Cheltenham striker George Lloyd dropped out of the side.
That meant Wilson playing in the middle of a front three with Devante Rodney, inset far left, to his right and Dennis Politic, left, to his left. Wilson added: “Dennis has not played for the past few games, then came on and scored against Barrow and went from strength to strength. “De’ has come into the team as well after a few weeks out, both have done brilliantly. Then Dave Amoo has come off the bench and I think we are all putting our foot in when needs be. We’ve pulled together as a full squad and churned out the three points.”