BENNING SETS SIGHTS ON FLYING FINISH TO SEASON
MAL Benning’s first season at Port Vale hasn’t always gone as he would have liked, but that makes his efforts to help the club to Wembley all the more impressive.
The 28-year-old has found himself in and out of the side since he was recruited on a free from Mansfield last summer. His 35 appearances have included only 17 league starts as, at different stages, he has competed with James Gibbons and January signing Chris Hussey for the spot at left-wing back.
But the Vale management have been at pains all season to say there can’t be a first eleven and the rest. Instead, if they were to succeed, they would depend heavily on the attitudes of the players not in the side but still around the squad.
In fact, assistant manager Andy Crosby used Benning as an example of a player who didn’t sulk but got on with training and being professional to be ready when he got the chance.
The value of that has been obvious as Benning has impressed in key games, not least in last week’s playoff semi-final second leg at home to Swindon to help Vale squeeze through to Saturday’s Wembley meeting against Mansfield.
Benning said: “I found myself out of the squad for a little chunk of games so it has been frustrating, there is no doubt about it. But I have had to stay focused and look after myself because when you are not playing it is easy to carry on with stuff that you normally get away with if you are playing.
“I have had to tweak a few things, looked after my body and looked after myself. When an opportunity did come, I had to be ready. I didn’t know when that was going to be, if it was ever going to happen. But I had to be ready and thankfully I did take it. Now my main focus is trying to put the best performance I can every time I step on the pitch.”
He certainly did that against Swindon Town, dazzling on the left side before completing his impressive evening by scoring confidently in the penalty shoot-out
to help the Valiants to their first playoff final since 1993.
He added: “It was a special night for me and my family. We haven’t got the job done yet at all. But getting to Wembley is a big game for players like myself, playing at the biggest stage of all in England.
“It was a special night and the fans made it even better. I thought they were very good.”
Benning is hugely popular with Mansfield fans having played more than 250 games for the club and earned the unofficial title ‘Sir Mal’ after scoring the winner against local rivals Chesterfield.
He said: “When we have played Mansfield a couple of times this year they have given me a great reception. I have nothing but admiration for the club, fans and the way they treated me while I was there.
“But I am a Port Vale player now and the fans have been incredible as well with the backing they have given us throughout the whole year. On the cold rainy Tuesday nights they have been there to support us. There is going to be a good number of them at Wembley and hopefully as a team we can reward them.”
As much as Benning is looking forward to the game, he says the trip to Wembley has to be about the result rather than the occasion.
He said: “It is playing at Wembley so everyone is excited but the week has been more of a focus on getting our game heads on and getting the game strategy.”