Half time talk does the trick
Vale came from behind the take the three points against Carlisle United at Vale Park, but it took a half time talk by boss Micky Adams to get his side kick-started.
Although they could have quite easily have been in front at the interval, they trailed going out for the second half and re-entered the playing area with the gaffer’s words ringing in their ears.
Micky Adams said: “I was disappointed with what we produced in the first half – having said that we had a couple of great chances to have scored, but didn’t and we were disappointed to come in one-nil down.
“It was a cheap free kick that we gave away, Popey got done at the back stick, so I sat them down at half time.
“What I told them was, I think, exactly what they knew and what they thought, that we needed to pick the tempo of the game up.”
Tom Pope may have been involved in Carlisle’s goal, but he certainly made amends when he netted the telling goal, just a couple of minutes after Ben Williamson had levelled the scores, something which certainly pleased the Vale boss.
“I am delighted when centre forwards score goals. If you are going to be in that position you get judged on the amount of goals that you score. Popey’s return is good, Ben’s is not so good.
“I thought in the second half there was a real willingness, particularly from Ben Williamson, to run the channels and to get in behind them, and I think that turned the game for us.
“Ben has got to understand the qualities that he has got and I don’t think he does sometimes, so he had a little gentle reminder at half time of what he was good at.
“I see the disappointment in a lot of players when I don’t pick them, and when they get the opportunity they have got to go out there and show me that they are worthy of a place, so I had a word with a few of them at half time.
“I think the turning point was Chris Neal’s save at one-nil. That was the real turning point in the game, it was crucial and it kept us in the game.
“Before that I was going to make a triple substitution to try and liven it up, but we got the goal just at the right time.
“I picked a team that was going to out there and word hard for themselves, for the shirt, for the supporters and for me, so I made changes and it has worked because we won.”