Match Thread - Port Vale v Bury

[PV1973]

Great win and a good clean sheet again. Nice for us to have some luck too. It’s fair to say we were overall second best against a good side, but we came out with the 3 points which is the main thing. First half we were awful and they were carving us open with ease, getting behind the wing backs and they had 2 or 3 excellent chances to take the lead. I think we had the one shot from Miller that was blocked at the edge of the box. Number ten for them ran the show, easily the best player I think I’ve seen at Vale Park this season. He should be at a higher level than league 2. Maynard looks a classy player too and they were all comfortable on the ball. We just didn’t get close enough to them at all.

 

Second half we did get a bit closer and finally put some tackles in. The goal was a great finish from Popey and at last managed to take a chance that falls to us. The game opened up more then and to be fair for a spell they were struggling to cope with being pressed, and we forced mistakes, but even so they were continuing to look dangerous. Brown pulled off an unbelievable save to deny what looked a certain goal. Like I said last week after the Oldham game he’s my player of the season and signing of the season. I heard Yates after the game say we like comfortable second half, I thought we looked far from comfortable as they were getting behind, pulling balls back and looking threatening and I thought it would only be a matter of time before they equalised. But it doesn’t matter now as they didn’t get the goal. Having said that Whitfield should have put the game beyond them. What a chance that was.

 

Credit to Aspin for a couple of changes near the end, took off the tiring Joyce for Kay and also moved Rawlinson wider and put Clark on their number ten to try and nullify his threat.

 

But you can’t hide from the fact that we had no attacking threat down the left again and also created very little down the other side. We also had no midfielders breaking the lines to get up alongside the forwards. Yes we ground out another result and it looks like that’s how we’ll carry on as I’m sure the manager will say the ends justify the means.

[valiant_593]

Dont you think you should start giving Aspin the respect he deserves?

 

Please point out one occasion I’ve not given him respect?

 

I’ve criticised and rightly so. If you have been going the matches and are happy to pay to see us sit back every single match with mad formations and team selections then good for you. Happy with the recent form, 7 from 9 is excellent and 3 clean sheets even better. Can’t say I’ve enjoyed any of the performances though. No doubt you’ll say we can’t just go all out attack as you always do but there is a balance that we don’t have right yet.

 

First half today was woeful. Absalutley woeful if bury had scored it would’ve been a thrashing. They didn’t and we were better in the second. The second half showing is more what i want to see. We look a better side playing in that manner.

 

I still want to see pope miller and Whitfield on the pitch at the same time from the start especially at home.

 

I will continue to judge aspin as he should be judged. Better but still a long way to go and for me to be convinced given the turgid football and mad tactics and selections we’ve seen.

[Bimbleabout]

First half was terrible 15/20 mins towards the end . We started brightly and were ok for the first 20 mins .

[Heatwave]

Neil Aspin - the new Gordon Lee?

[onestepatatime]

Their number 10 was absolutely fantastic! He totally ran the game and ran our midfield ragged. Why oh why can't we find a gem like him to create havoc for the opposition? A good hard fought win for Vale even though I remain far from happy with some of the football we are dishing up lately. Yes points in the bag are what are required alongside a clean sheet or 3, but this Division is wide, wide open and those teams that can create and attack will come out top at the season end. Relieved with win tonight but I agree with others that Bury fans will be heading home feeling hard done to, just like us on so many occasions in the past.

[beasty77]

Please point out one occasion I’ve not given him respect?

 

I’ve criticised and rightly so. If you have been going the matches and are happy to pay to see us sit back every single match with mad formations and team selections then good for you. Happy with the recent form, 7 from 9 is excellent and 3 clean sheets even better. Can’t say I’ve enjoyed any of the performances though. No doubt you’ll say we can’t just go all out attack as you always do but there is a balance that we don’t have right yet.

 

First half today was woeful. Absalutley woeful if bury had scored it would’ve been a thrashing. They didn’t and we were better in the second. The second half showing is more what i want to see. We look a better side playing in that manner.

 

I still want to see pope miller and Whitfield on the pitch at the same time from the start especially at home.

 

I will continue to judge aspin as he should be judged. Better but still a long way to go and for me to be convinced given the turgid football and mad tactics and selections we’ve seen.

 

Youve wanted Aspin out from the start, moaning all the time about him.. But no doubt as soon as we lose youll be back to Aspin out.

[Biddulph_PV]

Regardless of the fact we won, we will definitely lose more games than we win playing how we did today. You simply cannot spend probably 75 mins of the game sitting back and literally inviting the opposition to come at you. Aside from anything it gets the crowd agitated as in the first half when it was as dour and uninspiring as it comes from us. Our goal owed more to endeavour and a mistake from them (not taking anything away from the finish) than clever play by us. Being defensive - and you only have to listen to Aspin’s post match interview to realise he feared Bury beforehand - worked today, but it won’t (and hasn’t a la Lincoln) work In every game and when it does go wrong the fans will complain because it is, after all, supposed to be entertainment is it not?

[Hagrid]

Don't engage with Beasty.

 

I don't think anyone would accuse 593 of wanting Aspo out 'from the start', he's just been (rightly imo) critical of some of his decision making.

 

This binary "you're either for or against Aspo" is infuriating. I'm not delighted with him or how things are going, but that doesn't mean I want him sacked. Is that allowed?

[Valiant62]

I think we were bang average, but... if I was a Bury fan I wouldn’t be feeling unlucky or hard done to. They had lots of good possession and approach play but ultimately didn’t deserve to score. Brown made a great save - that isn’t luck, they hit the bar from a 40 yard punt but that was it really.

We scored, we were resilient - we deserved the result we got.

[Santa]

Delighted with the three points.

[Mario]

Good win today so guess the forum will be quiet

 

Your obsessed.

[valiant_593]

Youve wanted Aspin out from the start, moaning all the time about him.. But no doubt as soon as we lose youll be back to Aspin out.

 

I havnt but you keep assuming mate that’s fine. Posts are out there they can be checked. I was delighted when he joined but nevermind. Moaning all time? Yes and rightly so. No I won’t say aspin out when we next lose.

[Old fort]

Hi Totally ditto

Pleased with the result.

 

We were distinctly second best. First half was utterly atrocious.

 

Second half was better, a bit of pressing up top made us a bit more lively but we were under the cosh for large periods of the game, helped by poor finishing/a wonder save from Sir Scott Brown.

 

This formation has made us resilient and hard to beat; however, let it not convince us that we're on the up and our problems have been solved. Pleased with the win, 7 points from 9, and 4 clean sheets on the bounce, but still have some concerns about the way we play.

[ClntonBoulton]

Great result,Bury look a good side although we made them look fantastic first half,better more gritty second half display from the Valiants and we've lost enough games we deserved to win over the years so let's embrace these 3 points.wish Mitch Clarke was our own player cus that lad has a great future in football.

 

We made them look like Real Madrid/Barcelona first half but when we got into them we were the better side.

[ClntonBoulton]

Neil Aspin - the new Gordon Lee?

 

Said that on another thread...it has to start somewhere and again we were ugly but 3 clean sheets, 7 points and after conceding 6 at home.