Rob Fielding looks at what are largely positives after Port Vale’s ten men secure a valuable three points at home to Accrington.
Rob Fielding writes…
Forward pair start to gel
Forward pair start to gelI’m not alone in saying, earlier in the season, that Darren Moore needed to stick with an eleven to allow players and partnerships to gel. It’s good to see that the manager thinks the same way. Upfront the partnership between Jayden Stockley and Lorent Tolaj is flourishing and the pair look among the most dangerous in the division. Stockley has three in three while Tolaj’s strike on Saturday gave a glimpse of his coolness in front of goal. I hope that the longer the pair are in partnership then the better the pairing will become and that can only be good for Vale’s promotion hopes.
Byers adds class to engineroom
If you looked at the three players who started in midfield on Saturday there was a common thread. Ben Garrity has a great engine. Ryan Croasdale has a great engine. Rakeem Harper (even though his passing radar was off) has a great engine. However, the returning George Byers offers something different. His range of sensible passing and ability to control the game is something none of his rivals possess. If he can finally keep fit, he could be the difference for the Valiants in midfield.
Refereeing standards continue to dismay
Refereeing standards continue to dismayAnother awful referee was in place on Saturday. Perhaps the Tom Sang dismissal was debatable – like Mitch Clark’s red in the previous game – his foot went above the ball. However, it was the other decisions throughout the game which stank. At one point, it looked to me like he’d lost control of the game. It’s a sad situation – what you’d hope for is games where you take what your team deserves from it – win, lose or draw – not to be at the mercy of the refereeing lottery.
Milestone maker Smith makes a difference
I’ve been delighted to see Nathan Smith back in the starting eleven. You can argue about his worth at higher levels but in League Two he is right up there amongst the best defenders in the division. His value was there for all to see – including sticking his head in where it hurts in the dying moments. Saturday’s appearance takes Smith to prestigious company in the club’s all-time appearance table. His 411th game took him above Neil Aspin to seventh place, just below another legendary defender, Dean Glover, in sixth. Smith may not be in those pair’s class but he has made a big difference to this side since returning.
Cover needed on the right
Cover needed on the rightIt’s ironic that after Brandon Cover’s loan was ended due to the presence of Tom Sang and Mitch Clark both Clark and Sang get suspended. Ironically, Vale could now need the ahem… cover that Cover provided. It leaves the impressive Kyle John as the club’s only available natural right wingback. However, the club may have a player in their ranks who could understudy John during Sang and Clark’s suspensions. Ben Lomax has been largely a forgotten figure this season but he’s on loan at Peterborough Sports. Lomax gave a glimpse of what he could offer last season – should he be recalled to cover for John during a busy sequence of games? It may be a sensible solution until Clark and Sang can play again.
Agree or disagree? What do you think about these thoughts. Post a comment below.
Surely Plant is the obvious replacement. It’s odd to me that he seems to have played in so many matches over the last 18 months or so but never in his natural position on the right.
Plant is injured isn’t he?
Sorry Rob but you are now barred. This is one in a long series of sensible posts. Does not fit in with the usual vitriol we get on here.
I like most criticised the manager for not keeping a settled team and not giving the game time to Tolaj and Paton. With Moores astonishing mind set change the forwards are reaping the rewards of a settled team, however I wouldn’t consider Tolaj/Stockley as a good partnership. Both have benefited not only from game time but also the allowance of Garrity been allowed more freedom. But to me striking partnerships tend to play close together and Tolaj/Stockley just don’t do that and are still play their own games. As for Byers, I totally agree he does look very comfortable when on the ball, but as yet I’m still waiting for him to control a game, hopefully he will prove me wrong at some point but as yet he’s just an expensive bit player. Referees, as I say they have 22 players trying to con them for 90 minutes, managers and coaches who just want to win games so turn a blind eye to it, and two sets of biased supporters hurling abuse at them regardless of what decision they make, so I have sympathy for them. As for Smithy, he’s the best man for man marker in this league and always has been, so for Moore not being capable of realising this sooner just makes me doubt his management ability. Finding a replacement for Clark and now Sang for two games shouldn’t be difficult I just hope he doesn’t move Smithy out wide because that’s a waste !