Old-timer Varney’s hailed by boss Duff

CHELTENHAM boss Michael Duff praised veteran striker Luke Varney after his 10th goal of the season secured a home win over Port Vale.

The result took the Robins 11 points clear of the drop zone, but left Vale 22nd and deeper in relegation trouble.

“It was a good finish and every week we end up talking about him because he deserves every bit of credit he gets,” Duff said.

“He’s been a good player throughout his career and he’s a good player now at 36, but it’s everything else for me that makes him the complete package.

“He’s a great influence on the younger lads, who can learn off him from the way he is around the training ground.

“If you do the football everything else comes, so he is a great example. You can see from the way he plays how much he loves the game.”

Varney struck in the 34th minute, reaching a low corner from Chris Hussey on the right and finding the bottom right corner.

He had earlier been denied by a superb save from ex-Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown, who dived low to his right to keep out a downward header after a cross from Ryan Broom on the right.

David Worrall had the ball in the net for Vale after a cross from Cristian Montano, but referee Peter Wright ruled it out.

The away side were also close to levelling during first-half stoppage-time when Montano’s header flashed just past the far post after a cross from Ben Whitfield.

Varney volleyed a free-kick from Hussey over the bar from a good position in the 57th minute as Cheltenham looked for a second, with Vale creating very little in the second half.

Vale boss John Askey felt his side improved in the second half, without finding any serious goal threat. “I thought firsthalf we struggled,” he said. “We scored a perfectly good goal, which was disallowed and that changed the game.

“Their goal has come from a setpiece. At half-time we discussed what was going on.

“We stopped them having as much of the ball and it became quite an even game.

“It was frustrating as we were trying to get the ball out wide and crosses into the box, but it never really happened.”