Match Thread: Port Vale v Carlisle United

[Bycarsbill]

11 hours ago, Joe B said:

Ongoing hip problem he's had for a couple of years. Has an injection pre-season every year. Was questionable pre-game and Askey didn't know how long he'd last today.

Puts his performances into perspective. An absolutely superb player. I'd say he needs some time off to sort his hip but he's simply that important to us we can't afford to lose him. Our best player by a good distance (imo) and one of the best wingers in the League. Could comfortably play for a decent League 1 side.

Very lucky to have him.

If he did have a hip problem yesterday, he certainly didn't show it for the 70 odd mins he palyed--he was brilliant!

[SFBT]

Just now, Bycarsbill said:

A bit selfish! But then I was only 99 off being correct in my entry!  Congrats on being so accurate.

Yes, I agree.

I'd prefer another few hundred fans even if it meant I didn't get the crowd right 🙂

[valefan16]

We now have as many points as we did on New Years Eve last season! Currently we are only 5 points below what we have on March 2nd and for the pessimist only 13 off last seasons safety requirement.

If we can get over the next 5 games say 7 more points we’d be on course for 70 points which should be about enough for top 7 if we repeat the second half as the first half of the season.


I’m chuffed, we ground out the win, we actually scored the second at the point where the game appeared to be gone and we seemed to be clinging on for a point as we went deep after the equaliser but kept going and can’t fault the lads. Cullen is a real scorer and that header that seemed simple was anything but as he wouldn’t have expected their player to air kick the ball coming across.

Right result for all Carlisle pressure after the equaliser as we missed countless chances first half, hit the post etc.

Hopefully we can keep the points ticking over and if we can stay in this area in January I’m sure Carol and Kevin will give us a couple of players to have a crack at seeing it through to the end.

Squad depth is immense this year as players we didn’t expect to provide it have stepped up and with Manny and Conlon to come back we look strong.

Interesting we talk about beating Crewe and Bradford like it was a shock but we are keeping that company at the moment and closing in certainly on Crewe who’s wheels have flown off.

Enjoying this ride for the first time in years!


Tough game next Scunny are picking up and have only lost two at home. Point would be acceptable but if we do win that then things will really start to feel like it could be our time.

[Emile]

Bad results will probably still come but I'm hopeful we can grab a playoff place. What an achievement that would be.

 

I'd like it on record were finishing above Crewe this year. 

[Warren]

29 minutes ago, SFBT said:

The sub 5k crowd was perfect as I got it spot on in guess the crowd 😁

To progress the crowd needs to grow. An example is Tranmere who maintained 5.5K in the National League and after narrowly achieving two promotions have grown back to 8-9k which is not far away from the 10-11k attendances they used to get sustaining Championship level football 20 years ago.

[Warren]

13 minutes ago, Vale fan in Alsager said:

Glad we won but from the moment we equalised to the time we scored the winner the performance level was bordering on abject with Carlisle looking the more likely win .

As individuals go I’d say these marks are reflective on what I witnessed yesterday my 3rd home game of the season .

Brown 7 Gibbons 6 Legge 7 Smith 7 Montana 6 Worrall 7 Taylor 6 Burgess 6 Bennett 6 Amoo 6 Joyce 6

subs Pope 6 Cullen 9 

Crowd very supportive .

Performance a 5/10 So plenty of scope get better .

UTV 

I thought the Carlisle subs improved their legs and made them more of a threat up front. I was concerned. But they didn't create a set of near misses like Vale did when we couldn't score in the first half.

[Biddulph_PV]

Enjoyed the game yesterday. The start was, obviously, poor and such a bad goal to concede. We played some nice stuff in the first half and how never equalised is beyond me.

I criticised Askey at half time as I thought he should have bought Pope on sooner rather than waste 10 minutes of the 2nd half, which is an important time as you tend to have a real go in that period, however I didn’t think Pope won a lot in the air when he came on, so maybe just credit the opposition there.

I thought Gibbons was my MOTM. He was up against quite a tricky winger but defended brilliantly and had a hand in both goals. That tackle he made first half when they broke was Hansen / Lawrenson-seque. Taylor and Burgess were also very good.

As for Amoo, it’s a strange one because he seems almost afraid to talk his full back on at times and doesn’t look like he has a goal in him which was in stark contrast to the start of the season, but both goals came from that side.

They were the type of side that we’d have lost too last year. I thought they looked dangerous on the break with a couple of direct runners who were able to take players on, and tried every trick in the book which yet more totally incompetent officials bought every time. Time taken on throw ins, kicking the ball away (literally out of the ground a couple of times), feigning injury (their number 4’s ‘injury’ first half was just embarrassing), and yet the ref did nothing. It’s hard to feel any sympathy with teams who concede late goals when they play like late.

Cullen took his goal brilliantly but I don’t see how he fits into the starting 11 in the current formation.  Askey gambled as I thought they were winning the midfield battle at that stage and thankfully it paid off.

I suspect Scummy will be a difficult game and I think our record is pretty awful there, so it we lose we are probably due one and I won’t be having sleepless nights but win, and I might just think we’re in with a promotion shout. I still think the play-offs ought to be the goal.

 

[philmpv]

First half was the best I've seen us play all season. We absolutely dominated them. The midfield trio was totally in command and on another day we'd have gone in 2 or 3 up.

Second half, despite scoring twice, I actually didn't think we played anywhere near as well, particularly after burgess went off, when they looked the most likely to nick it.

Pope, for me, was terrible. I think he won one header which pinged off his head with no direction whatsoever. Bennett or Cullen over pope for me any day of the week. We look a poorer side with pope on the pitch.

All in all a gutsy win which was deserved on the overall balance of play.

Onwards and upwards.

Nice also to hear some of the players getting the recognition they deserve in having songs chanted about them. Worrall finally got his own song yesterday for the first time. Maybe if this keeps up we'll get back to the good old days when every player had their song chanted at the start of every game and they acknowledged the crowd each time

[Jacko51]

1 hour ago, The Kalamazoo Kid said:

Agree. He's getting better by the week and it'd be fantastic if we can extend his loan for the rest of the season - hopefully Taylor, Sproson (agent) & Gary Brazil (Forest academy boss) all agree and will make it happen. After all, if a League 1 club want him on loan there's no guarantee that he'd play every week like he is doing at Vale.

If we keep Taylor and IF (admittedly a humungous if!) Oyeleke can stay fit from January onwards, then the play-offs are a very realistic target, as there's not a great deal in this division again.

Gary Brazil was at the Trophy game on Tuesday.  We spoke to him and told him Taylor had been rubbish and Forest should release him.  He didn't believe us!

[Joe B]

Just seen Gibbo has our last 3 assists.

Lower league Alexander Arnold. If there are any sides with a decent scouting system, they'll be taking a look at Gibbons. Everything you'd want from a full back. Don't know when we last had 2 of our best players being youth academy products, but with Gibbons and Smith both running Worrall and Joyce close for player of the season thus far, hopefully we'll see a few new youngsters break in.

Hearing good things about Ryan Campbell Gordon. Any news on him from his loan spell?

[Warren]

35 minutes ago, Biddulph_PV said:

Enjoyed the game yesterday. The start was, obviously, poor and such a bad goal to concede. We played some nice stuff in the first half and how never equalised is beyond me.

I criticised Askey at half time as I thought he should have bought Pope on sooner rather than waste 10 minutes of the 2nd half, which is an important time as you tend to have a real go in that period, however I didn’t think Pope won a lot in the air when he came on, so maybe just credit the opposition there.

I thought Gibbons was my MOTM. He was up against quite a tricky winger but defended brilliantly and had a hand in both goals. That tackle he made first half when they broke was Hansen / Lawrenson-seque. Taylor and Burgess were also very good.

As for Amoo, it’s a strange one because he seems almost afraid to talk his full back on at times and doesn’t look like he has a goal in him which was in stark contrast to the start of the season, but both goals came from that side.

They were the type of side that we’d have lost too last year. I thought they looked dangerous on the break with a couple of direct runners who were able to take players on, and tried every trick in the book which yet more totally incompetent officials bought every time. Time taken on throw ins, kicking the ball away (literally out of the ground a couple of times), feigning injury (their number 4’s ‘injury’ first half was just embarrassing), and yet the ref did nothing. It’s hard to feel any sympathy with teams who concede late goals when they play like late.

Cullen took his goal brilliantly but I don’t see how he fits into the starting 11 in the current formation.  Askey gambled as I thought they were winning the midfield battle at that stage and thankfully it paid off.

I suspect Scummy will be a difficult game and I think our record is pretty awful there, so it we lose we are probably due one and I won’t be having sleepless nights but win, and I might just think we’re in with a promotion shout. I still think the play-offs ought to be the goal.

 

Cullen is technically very good and a penalty box player. A bit like Lee Hughes in key moments he will score. So we playing target man football a lot of the time to Bennett. I think he can improve under Askey. Pope is a much better target man but I accept Bennett is younger. Bennett was very frustrated to be taken off yesterday. I get that because a striker who has worked the defence all game is losing the chance to score in the last 20-30 when the opposition tire. Messi does an enormous amount of damage in that period of the game taking this to the best player in the world level even. So Cullen has to play in Cullen's best position, and the team will have to try to play to his strengths. If Cullen has a limitation I think he has average speed and he is quick enough but not got the acceleration of a really top goal scorer of his ilk. Vardy comes to mind. But taking Vardy as an example, Rogers has improved his role in the Leicester team in build up play and he isn't anymore just a counter attack striker when the ball is pinged in to space behind the defence. It was no coincidence that Cullen was there to score after a complete air kick by the Carlisle defender. I mean that was a cross everyone was waiting to see disappear 50 yards back up the pitch and it didn't and he was there in case it didn't. Really good alertness.

[Iron Curtain]

3 hours ago, Warren said:

The thing I most took from the game is that Gibbons has improved significantly. He makes crucial tackles and is now very reliable on the ball. Some of that comes from the team being drilled and coached well. He does not have to force difficult passes because they are running to and standing in the right places. Watching Liverpool play, the few times I go per season, there are a couple of things that always absolutely stand out. The first is shape and drill even when out of possession. The second is first touch - unbelievable ball fired in to each other. That makes them able to play at speed. I think Vale have improved at that as well and it enables the ball to be moved quicker before the opposing defenders can mark or get back into shape. 

And that’s Gibbo who was being slated by the moaners on here a few weeks back... they have now moved onto Bennett.

Certain Vale fans always need to have someone to moan at... it’s a disorder!

[For Us All]

2 hours ago, Vale fan in Alsager said:

Glad we won but from the moment we equalised to the time we scored the winner the performance level was bordering on abject with Carlisle looking the more likely win .

As individuals go I’d say these marks are reflective on what I witnessed yesterday my 3rd home game of the season .

Brown 7 Gibbons 6 Legge 7 Smith 7 Montana 6 Worrall 7 Taylor 6 Burgess 6 Bennett 6 Amoo 6 Joyce 6

subs Pope 6 Cullen 9 

Crowd very supportive .

Performance a 5/10 So plenty of scope get better .

UTV 

Not far off the mark there,apart from Gibbo who I thought was MOTM and worth a mark of eight.I'd never give a sub a mark of nine though,unless he comes on and scores a hat-trick.First half I thought we had enough chances to put the game to bed after their early goal.Second half Carlisle had most of the possession,winning lots of second balls without really hurting us but we persevered to get the three points.

Too much diving again by another away side and a weak referee who missed an obvious red card in the second half.

Apart from that,a decent performance and another three points in the bag.

UTV.

[Mario]

3 hours ago, Vale fan in Alsager said:

Glad we won but from the moment we equalised to the time we scored the winner the performance level was bordering on abject with Carlisle looking the more likely win .

As individuals go I’d say these marks are reflective on what I witnessed yesterday my 3rd home game of the season .

Brown 7 Gibbons 6 Legge 7 Smith 7 Montana 6 Worrall 7 Taylor 6 Burgess 6 Bennett 6 Amoo 6 Joyce 6

subs Pope 6 Cullen 9 

Crowd very supportive .

Performance a 5/10 So plenty of scope get better .

UTV 

Abject ? Really? Carlisle never really troubled Brown and in any game the opposition will have the upper hand for a period, where were Carlisle in the first half ? it's how you deal with it and I thought we dealt with it well,going on to win the game.

Great team spirit and the crowd was right behind them,more of the same boys and ignore the knockers.

[JRC]

1 hour ago, Iron Curtain said:

And that’s Gibbo who was being slated by the moaners on here a few weeks back... they have now moved onto Bennett.

Certain Vale fans always need to have someone to moan at... it’s a disorder!

There hasn't been concerted complaints. There was a game about 4 weeks ago when he was shocking and people commented on it. Every player at this level has a bad game.