VALE LOOKING TO SHOW QUALITY IN CUP ENCOUNTERS

ASSISTANT manager Andy Crosby says Port Vale are relishing the chance to test themselves against League One opposition in away games this week.

They are at Rotherham in the Papa John’s Trophy tonight then take on Burton in the FA Cup second round on Saturday when they will be backed by more than 1,500 travelling supporters.

Vale recovered from back-to-back league defeats, at Oldham and at home to Walsall, to beat Hartlepool 2-0 at Vale Park on Saturday. Crosby is hoping that helps put Vale’s wobble into context as he felt they dominated large parts of the 3-2 defeat at Oldham before turning in a poor performance to lose at home to the Saddlers 1-0. But the win over Hartlepool kept Vale in fifth, just two points off second-place, as they break for Trophy and FA Cup action. Crosby said: “We thought we played really well against Oldham last week but we didn’t defend our box well enough and weren’t ruthless enough in theirs. “Tuesday night was a different story. So, the response (against Hartlepool) was good, it keeps things going forward and now we have two cup games against two teams in a higher level than us. “We have had really close games against Sunderland and Bolton and we beat Accrington here.

“So, yes, we are a League Two team but we are a good League Two team and we will go there and try to be competitive and play the game how we want to, and we will see what the outcome is.” Captain Tom Conlon is available after a one-game ban picked up for two yellow cards against Walsall. His first booking followed a confrontation, involving a number of players, and his second was for a foul.

Speaking in the match programme, he said: “I thought the first yellow was a harsh one and then the second one, again, I think was harsh. But it is something that I have got to look at to see whether maybe I could have pulled out.

“I am not one to pull out of tackles so I won’t apologise for that but maybe I can go a different way about it. I have got to learn from it quickly.”