Exceptional – Port Vale manager hails team’s performance against Northampton Town

Port Vale manager Andy Crosby said the team’s performance was “exceptional” after the team took their undefeated run to nine games with a 1-0 win over Northampton Town.

Vale dominated play but had to be patient with the winning goal coming in the 84th minute through sub Ben Garrity.

We dominated the whole game and we kept probing and we kept working the ball and kept trying to move them and look for spaces to play through the line…

Crosby told the media: “I thought our performance was exceptional. I though we had control of the game with and without the ball.

“It’s very difficult to break a team down when they put everyone behind the ball and they  changed formation I think four times to try and stop us but we dominated the whole game and we kept probing and we kept working the ball and kept trying to move them and look for spaces to play through the line and the guys who came from the side of the pitch to impact the game, it’s exactly the job that they’re asked to do.

“They defended their box really well, fair play to them. We just kept going. We’re a fit group and we went right to the end and got our rewards.”

Crosby says the team’s fitness levels allowed them to press for a winner for the whole ninety minutes saying: It was a focus for the summer to make us more robust, reliable fitter. That’s credit to the group, to the medical group and the coaches.”

The Vale manager also paid tribute to his substitutes saying: “There’s a lot of frustration around from some of them that they are not in the team but I accept that. We’ve got a really competitive group who deliver every single day. Our performances currently are a reflection of that. We’ve got people who can change the game from the side who want to play. I get that, it’s my decision I won’t always get it right.”