Darren Moore’s side seemed to be suffering a post-Lorent Tolaj hangover after a lacklustre loss at home to Doncaster Rovers.
Team news
Team newsAfter the late defeat to Stevenage, Darren Moore rang the changes with the most eyebrow raising being a first start for Joe Gauci ahead of Marko Marosi. Ben Waine and Mo Faal started upfront, Kyle John returned to the back three, Jaheim Headley was preferred at left wingback and captain Ben Garrity made his return to the starting eleven. Rhys Walters was included on the bench.
First-half
The Valiants didn’t take advantage of their chances as it finished goalless at the break. Defender Cameron Humphreys coming closest with an effort which hit the bar.
A much changed Vale side took a while to gel so the opening fifteen minutes was a largely quiet affair. However, the Valiants grew into the game. Jaheim Headley had the first chance with his fierce shot tipped over by impressive Doncaster keeper Lo-Tutala. The keeper then came to the rescue with a double save from close range to keep out Mo Faal and then Ben Garrity.
However, Vale came a coat of paint from taking the lead when Cameron Humphrey’s header hit the bat with the keeper beaten.
Doncaster were dangerous on the break with Luke Molyneux causing Vale defenders problems at times but efforts from Bailey and Clifton went wide as they failed to force debutant Gauci into action.
When the whistle blew, the feeling was that Vale could rue those missed chances in the second period.
Half-time: Port Vale 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
Second-half
It was a much poorer second-half as an error helped give Doncaster the lead and Vale’s lack of a cutting edge became apparent as the game progressed.
The visitors made two changes at the break and they paid dividends as they started the half the better side. Rovers had the first chance of the half as Clifton forced Gauci into action.
Rovers took the lead on 55 minutes when Faal gave the ball away and Middleton found skipper Owen Bailey who calmly finished. It was almost 2-0 moments later but Sharp’s header went over.
Darren Moore made changes as his side tried to find an equaliser but with few forward options, Vale were unable to find the net. The closest they came was a poor header from sub Ronan Curtis who really should have found the target.
It ended in a home defeat and the Vale still looking for their first win of the season.
Full-time: Port Vale 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
Analysis
The match
Thanks to a good period of play in the first-half, it wasn’t all completely awful by the Valiants but it wasn’t very inspiring either. Doncaster were a well-drilled unit and a measure of the level Vale need to reach in League One. So far, they have failed to do so and while it’s no time to panic it’s still a worrying time for the winless Vale.
The tactics
Darren Moore started with a 3-5-2 formation with Waine and Faal upfront. After the subs, it looked to be more of a 4-3-3 with Waine, Curtis and Richards a front three.
The players
Mitch Clark had a decent first-half but was less prominent in the second. Ben Garrity showed glimpses of what we have been missing but is still short of a 90 minutes display. Goalkeeper Joe Gauci looked to do little wrong and had no chance with the goal. However, Ben Waine lacks composure when in good positions, Ronan Curtis simply is not a centre-forward and Mo Faal faded presumably as he still builds up his fitness levels. For this fan, Cameron Humphreys was the best Vale player on view – a composed central defender who can pick a pass too. He was a rare chink of light in a disappointing afternoon.
Star man
Cameron Humphreys
Summing up
Striker light?
Match stats
Team: Gauci – John (Richards), Humphreys, Hall – Clark, Ojo (Walters), Shipley, Garrity (Croasdale), Headley (Gordon) – Waine, Faal (Curtis)
Subs: Marosi, Debrah
Yellows: Humphreys
Reds: none
Goals: none
Attendance: 7,728 (776 visitors)
Season stats
Your thoughts…
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Port Vale NIL. What a shock! 2 goals in 5 league games appalling. Top scorer sold , no replacement in place as of yet.Once again a case of what might have been. First half was OK but the second half atrocious. As I said yesterday our forward line up of the injured stockley and Paton, plus Wain, Curtis and Faal unlikely to be scoring lots of goals at this level. If they get 15 all season between them I would be surprised. We have missed Byers in the middle. Ben G not fit. Not sure what’s happening with Rhys and Rico very limited playing time again from our more creative players. Let’s see what happens this week in terms of a new striker/strikers. Mr Moore said in the post match he was confident in this group of players, me I’m not so sure. Are you?
Not surprised by this worrying defeat, that could be said to be self inflicted. Moore has dismantled the influential and successful midfield axis of Croasdale and Walters, while selling top scorer Tolaj without having an adequate replacement. Add other frequent selection changes, and you have today’s disjointed effort. Fortunately there are 41 league games remaining to improve, and save the season.
Where do you start with this one. Considering the Stevenage performance was decent until Darren Moore made the substitutions, and changed our formation, the amount of changes that were made today was something of a surprise. While the keeper was not to blame for either goal he gets dropped, Gordon who has been impressive for me, dropped. Croasdale our player of the season last season, and possibly our most influential midfielder dropped (this is the third time out of six games Croasdale has not made the starting eleven). I could possibly understand Debrah and Curtis being left out as neither has impressed but not the other three. Moore seems to go into meltdown and panics whenever results go wrong, for me while results are important so are performances. Tuesdays defeat was more down to Moores tinkering, ridiculous unnecessary substitutions and system changes, which led to no one at the back knowing what they were doing. The lack of goal scoring forwards is totally down to Moore who chose to spend his budget on nine wingbacks, every fan could see the lack of goals in the team even at last year’s level, yet Moore seemed happy to bring in just Waine, someone who’s never scored goals and had failed to hold a place down at this level last season. By selling Tolaj to a team in the same division as us not only shows lack of ambition on the club’s behalf but also shows what players think of the club, which is very disappointing after the spin we get from the club. (It’s the same as when Brian Horton went to Brighton). As for the Doncaster game, for 30 minutes of the first half we were well on top and a little unlucky not to be in front, the only downside was Vales only form of attack is by lumping a nonstop barrage of high balls into the opponents box, and if that doesn’t work there’s no plan B or any way of changing it. Our usual slow start to the second half allowed Doncaster to take control and once they scored it was difficult to see a way back. Again Moores substitutions seemed nothing short of bizarre and seem to be changes for changes sake, especially with Ojo going off. Vale are in deep trouble especially with Dopey Darren in charge !!
First half could have see6us at least one goal in front despite loose passing being a problem. The sloppy passing continued in the second half and when Doncaster made two significant tactical changes we were completely overrun in midfield, why Croasdale and Walters don’t start is a mystery and the two up front are way off the mark particularly Ben Waine. The same comment from the manager of we will learn from this is already wearing thin . Play your strongest side from the start is still the best tactic. Strikers are hard to come by and Stockley is already injury prone but goals in the current side will be hard to find. Early days but once you get dragged into the bottom four points become hard to achieve.
We all know Mr Moore’s tactics are questionable at best his quality last season was his recruitment this season’s recruitment is poor with new signings have not improved the squad and one or two have made the team poorer trying to justify these signings by playing them in place of players who are quite clearly better than the new comers is clearly a recipe for disaster if he can’t attract better players than it is time for Mr Moore to leave
Moore has no clue. He has spent more than any other Vale manager and we are in a poorer position with a poorer squad than when he was appointed. He insists on leaving out the best and most creative players and accepts every defeat a a ‘lesson learned’. The only lesson learned is that he is out of his depth and we need to show him the door before the situation gets too dire to rescue the season.