Port Vale manager praises battlers but says Vale didn’t deserve a win
Port Vale manager Neil Aspin has praised his side’s battling qualities but said on chances created, Mansfield deserved to win.
The Valiants lost 1-0 on Saturday and had Manny Oyeleke sent off but Aspin said it could have been a different story had Vale been given an early penalty.
If we’d gone in front with the penalty decision I am sure we’d have had a good chance of picking up something from the game. But I don’t have any arguments about the score…
Aspin commented: “If you’re talking about chances then Mansfield had a lot of opportunities in the second half when they could have scored so there is no way that on chances created we deserved anything from the game.
“But in terms of battling and keeping going until the end I can’t ask anything more from the players.
“I thought we had a good shape in the first half and started the game well. And we should have had a penalty. I’ve looked at it against and Tom Pope gets his shirt pulled in the box. It’s obvious to everyone and that changes the game.
“When you go behind against Mansfield it does give you a problem as they have of players up front and, when you’re pushing, it leaves space behind you.
“If we’d gone in front with the penalty decision I am sure we’d have had a good chance of picking up something from the game. But I don’t have any arguments about the score.”