35 minutes ago, Brian Johnson said:

We are still going up being the champions

come on let’s have it 

Agreed. We will be Champions after the Wimbledon match. We all knew Carlisle would be a Banana skin, ex Stoke manager, Club 2nd bottom of the League and at a Ground that's seems to be our new Walsall. Normal service will be resumed Monday.

The defending was terrible yesterday, not sure it can be argued otherwise. First goal granted it’s a bad error from Shorrock but the second of third we didn’t switch on at all. No one anticipated the rebound off the post and followed it in, the third is arguably the worst goal we’ve conceded this season! It’s an awful cross in that’s spooned, should be bread and butter for one of the centre halves to head that away and not one attempts it whilst their lad busts a gut to win it running in.  You’d be roasting Sunday league centre halves for conceding that.

 

6 minutes ago, valefan16 said:

The defending was terrible yesterday, not sure it can be argued otherwise. First goal granted it’s a bad error from Shorrock but the second of third we didn’t switch on at all. No one anticipated the rebound off the post and followed it in, the third is arguably the worst goal we’ve conceded this season! It’s an awful cross in that’s spooned, should be bread and butter for one of the centre halves to head that away and not one attempts it whilst their lad busts a gut to win it running in.  You’d be roasting Sunday league centre halves for conceding that.

 

Not only the centre halves- it was in the air so long you could argue even the keeper could have come for it as well 

Just hope we ain't lost our bottle completely.

17 minutes ago, rob1983 said:

Just hope we ain't lost our bottle completely.

Shame we missed the penalty, it would have given the team a load of confidence going in to the Grimsby game. Saying that, we didn’t deserve the point and need to re set, go in to the Grimsby game with a completely different mind set and approach. 

34 minutes ago, rob1983 said:

Just hope we ain't lost our bottle completely.

Not everyone has the same mindset as you, positivity is the key 

10 hours ago, Guitar Ray said:

Fair point.  It looked for all the world as though he’d claimed the ball for himself.  Clearly, he was just attempting to take the heat off Tolaj.  Not a great pen, although you may beg to differ.

He was standing on the spot to prevent their players messing with it. One was digging his heals into the penalty spot to create a divot. As soon as Byers saw it he grabbed the ball and stood on the spot to prevent any further nonsense. 

48 minutes ago, NTVALE said:

Agreed. We will be Champions after the Wimbledon match. We all knew Carlisle would be a Banana skin, ex Stoke manager, Club 2nd bottom of the League and at a Ground that's seems to be our new Walsall. Normal service will be resumed Monday.

We're all hoping & praying that you're right!

1 minute ago, fuzzyvalefan said:

He was standing on the spot to prevent their players messing with it. One was digging his heals into the penalty spot to create a divot. As soon as Byers saw it he grabbed the ball and stood on the spot to prevent any further nonsense. 

I was impressed with Byers doing that. An experienced head taking a little heat out of the situation. Having watched it over a number of times, the penalty was well placed and struck firmly.  9 times out of 10 it would have gone in. You have to concede that the goalie made a brilliant save.

2 hours ago, Biddulph_PV said:

I genuinely think we got stage fright yesterday. We looked shadow of the sides from Crewe, Walsall, Bradford & Bromley.

Not on DM that, but as a collective never really worked Carlisle out. 

In hindsight, you start with Hart and Byers, but how could Moore have possibly dropped Shorrock & Walters after last week?

I’m worried about this game. Garrity will be a huge miss if he’s injured. Byers the obvious replacement - but can Walters play more advanced? 

Do we play Shorrock or Hart? If we’re losing a bit of creativity in midfield we need more attacking threat out wide. 

I feel very uncomfortable about this game, again another banana skin. My worry is that we only get to 78 points (I sense two draws and a defeat) and am not sure that will be enough.

Just a thought, but most of Croesdales goals have been from busting a gut ala Garrity to get into the box for a sexy finish, so maybe we could have him as the most forward of a Walters Byers Croesdale midfield -would rather see that personally than dropping Harper back in (not that I dislike him, but feel you never know which version of him is going to turn up)

I think we need a big push now on ticket updates for Grimsby on Monday. The PR around the Bromley game was spot on and definitely helped get a few more down to the game. 

I saw the club mention we’re nearly at 10,000 sold, including around 1,700 from Grimsby, so it would be great to aim for 11,000 or so.

Appreciate tickets aren’t a tenner this time, but another 10,000+ Vale fans in the ground would be fantastic. 

2 hours ago, Coyney Valiant said:

Shorrock ain’t good enough I know he’s scored 2gpod goals but his overall play ain’t good enough that’s why he’s subbed at half time Hart has to start also Byers and Curtis 

Shorrock is good enough. The lad’s only 17 and he’s played a big part in some tough fixtures this season. I might be wrong, but I was under the impression he’s more of a right-sided attacker who’s been shifted to LWB.

He wasn’t great yesterday, fair enough — but he was left isolated 2 v 1 for most of the first half. Hard to shine in that situation, especially at his age.

11 minutes ago, Portvale4 said:

I think we need a big push now on ticket updates for Grimsby on Monday. The PR around the Bromley game was spot on and definitely helped get a few more down to the game. 

I saw the club mention we’re nearly at 10,000 sold, including around 1,700 from Grimsby, so it would be great to aim for 11,000 or so.

Appreciate tickets aren’t a tenner this time, but another 10,000+ Vale fans in the ground would be fantastic. 

1,500 Grimsby fans.

Ticket sales have been very odd in the Hamil. Thursday morning looked loads left. Yesterday after the game, 3 blocks the Lorne St side of the Hamil were sold out.  Wonder if the club have given out a load of free tickets. Looking at availability the rest of the ground, looks like a normal game. Hamil only has about 500 tickets left.

Just can't get confident for this game. Mainly because Grimsby are impossible to predict. Horrendous GD, lost 17, but won almost as many as us. They don't go on long runs, they win, lose, win, lose, draw, win, win, lose, lose. Haven't got a clue what to expect. It's just that odious manager that bothers me. Absolute <ovf censored> of a man. 

I'm desperate see us win a title. Never get a better chance, so it's hard to feel like we're not throwing it away again. Win Monday, we've one foot in L1. Then I feel more confident v Wimbledon and Gillingham. This is going to be the longest weekend ever.

Edited April 19, 20251 yr by Family Stand Terrier

10 hours ago, andy jones said:

Byers is the experienced pro who should have handled the pressure better than a player in his first season in the EFL.

Tolaj is having a great half season but I just think that as it was last throw of the dice time Byers should have stood up and taken it.

I thought that's what he was doing when he stood with the ball on the spot.

Sadly he wasn't prepared to take control of the situation.

Byers misses there'd of been hell up as Tolaj was 100%.

Stating the obvious, he slots it In the other corner it's a wonderful penalty. In reality if the keeper guesses correct he has a chance,  see Amos v Bradford and Amos v Walsall. 

Tolaj had to take it. Maybe hindsight just blast it down the middle instead. 

The defence and zero midfield for a long part of the game was what cost us.

Huge game Monday, but it’s definitely not the time for rash changes — and to be fair, I can’t see Moore doing that.

Grimsby play the same shape as us, with one sitting and two midfielders given the freedom to get forward. Can’t imagine Moore switching it up formation-wise, so the main question is who comes in for Garrity. Not totally sold on a midfield of Croasdale, Byers and Walters — as someone pointed out, all three have mainly played as the sitter in their careers.

Maybe time for Chislett or Harper to come in from the cold? I think Hart’s earned a start, so I’d expect him at LWB with Headley hopefully back on the bench.

I reckon it’ll be a cagey first 20 minutes, with both sides cautious early on. But I’ve got full faith in this group to respond — they showed real character in the second half at Carlisle. I’m backing them to bounce back and get the job done.

2-0 Vale. Tolaj brace.