DAN’S THE MAN AGAIN AS VALE FIND CLINICAL EDGE
DAN Butterworth must have been taking notes when the Port Vale coaching staff said their side has to be more clinical.
Assistant boss Andy Crosby told the media on Friday that Vale would have been in the play-off places based on the ‘expected goals’ table – worked out on the quality of chances created.
Instead they went into this game in 15th – but are back up to 10th after Butterworth scored a goal that was barely a twinkle in Dave Worrall’s eye on 57 minutes when he looked up deep on the right in his own half.
The wing-back played a superb crossfield pass to send the ball dropping over Butterworth’s shoulder to complete part one of what will surely be Vale’s goal of the month.
Butterworth did the rest, beating the first defender to the ball then scampering round the outside of another two on his way into the right of the area before drilling the ball low back across keeper Ashley Maynard-brewer and inside the far post.
This was a superb goal from a forward who has impressed since signing on a seasonlong loan from Blackburn at the end of the August
transfer window.
His strike made the difference as Vale saw off a Charlton side who knocked the ball around well but found no encouragement from a determined home defence, or any part of the home side that worked relentlessly on a heavy pitch.
Assistant manager Andy Crosby praised the collective effort to beat Ben Garner’s
team as a Vale team with five changes bounced back from defeats to Exeter and Oxford in the previous two games.
Vale’s 3-4-3 featured Tom Conlon and Ben Garrity in central midfield and both produced contenders for their best games of the season.
Captain Conlon was dictating the play from the start, looking back to the
player he was last season before Achilles surgery.
Meanwhile, Garrity’s seemingly inexhaustible performance was a remarkable effort on his first start after injury and must have helped his midfield partner.
Crosby said both had important roles to play, saying that Garrity’s efforts allowed right-wing back
Dave Worrall to concentrate more on defensive responsibilities, adding: “We spoke before the game about the threat of a counter attack from their left.
“We had to be really organised behind the ball. We changed one or two things before the game so it was more Ben outside the box than Wozza.
“We thought we could
exploit them at the back post with crosses but we also had to be wary of the counter attack because he (Corey Blackett-taylor) has got incredible pace.
“Ben did a great job but the skipper was incredible, absolutely incredible.
“He epitomises everything that is good about our group. He just needs to keep getting better.
“He doesn’t need to be as good as he was last year, he needs to be better than he was last year.
“He was out for a long period of time, he is taking small steps but it is more about the character of the man than the player.”
Crosby also had praise for James Wilson, who managed to get through 53 minutes in his first game since suffering an ankle injury in the 2-2 draw at Wycombe at the start of the month.
Wilson, who top scored with 15 last season, hadn’t been expected to return until the game at Plymouth on December 1 but helped out a side that was without striker Ellis Harrison through a onematch ban.
The assistant manager said he was delighted to see
Wilson get through those 53 minutes, adding: “He had not trained with the group.
“It was a gamble. We knew he wouldn’t last the full game but it was great to get him back out there, probably ahead of schedule.
“He has undoubted quality so we are delighted he has come through that period of time. We got him off and he is part of a winning group.”
Vale are likely to make multiple changes for their Papa Johns Trophy last 32 tie at home to Barnsley on Wednesday before they return to league action with the trip to leaders Plymouth Argyle.
Will Forrester, who missed this game through injury, has every chance of being back by then. He has described the injury problem as just a niggle and said he is hoping to be back for the next game.
He’s been arguably Vale’s best defender this season so his return would strengthen the manager’s options. Anyone left out after this performance can count themselves extremely unfortunate but the league table suggests rotating the squad has served Vale well so far.