CROSBY PRAISES VALE FOR COLLECTIVE SPIRIT
Butterworth strike sends team up to 10th after a solid all-round performance
PORT Vale assistant manager Andy Crosby praised his team’s resilience after they climbed to tenth with a 1-0 win at home to Charlton.
Vale had suffered back-to-back defeats, 3-2 at home to Exeter in the FA Cup, and 4-0 at Oxford in the league, but responded impressively to see off Charlton thanks to Dan Butterworth’s 57th -minute strike.
Talking about his team’s character, Crosby said: “That was never in doubt about our group. I admire their resilience and togetherness.
“You don’t get that at a lot of football clubs, there are usually little cliques, but with this group we don’t have anything like that, it was a collective effort.”
Crosby praised match-winner Butterworth who took on three defenders before scoring what was the 23-year-old’s third goal in 13 appearances since signing on a season-long loan from Blackburn Rovers at the end of August.
The assistant boss added:
“He has incredible talent. In possession, he can create chances and score, he can play the final pass. That is not in any doubt. He has to add other things to his game to become a more all-round player but he has a desire to improve and credit to him.”
But while praising the winner, the assistant manager was also pleased with a determined effort in defence to ensure one goal was enough.
He added: “It was disciplined
and compact without the ball, we forced them into certain areas of the pitch where we wanted it to go to. We were really good at defending our box and nullifying the opposition’s threats, then being better in the second half in the transition to counter attacks and taking that moment when it materialised.
“Dan travelled a long way and executed a great finish. So, I am delighted for the whole group, the only disappointment is for the lads who couldn’t get onto the pitch and the ones not in the squad.”
He added: “We said in the week, whichever 11 players are out on the pitch, it is not about relying on six or seven of them to keep a clean sheet, it has to be collective.
The whole group has to contribute to keeping a clean sheet, it isn’t just about the goalkeeper and defenders. That is where the finger generally gets pointed but it is about everyone fulfilling the role for the team, just as it is when we get the ball back. Everyone has to be a creative part of the team as well.
“I don’t think they had many opportunities, not clear cut opportunities. We handled the physical threat of (Jayden) Stockley and (Chuks) Aneke when he came on.
“They have pace on the side of the pitch which we did really well defending one v one against. We forced the ball into the areas of the pitch we wanted to so it was a good 90 minutes and now we look forward to Wednesday night.”
The Vale take on Barnsley on Wednesday in the last 32 of the Papa John’s Trophy at Vale Park (7.30pm).