Valiants midfielder Tom Conlon says that the Vale still have a lot of work to do this season, to secure a place in the play-offs come the end of the season.
“We still have a lot to do, Dave Kevan said on Saturday that we’ve done really well so far but now there are ten games left and it’s a ten-game league now” said the Valiants midfielder.
“We probably need about six wins and a few draws and that should probably get us in and around the play-offs.”
“At the moment we’re just looking forward to Saturday when we play Crawley at home.”
“It will be nice to get back out at Vale Park and see what we can do.”
After finding it difficult to get regular game time this season with an injury towards the start of the season, before a suspension when he returned, Conlon has now been able to put together a run of games in the starting line-up.
“At the time it was a bit stop-start (during his injuries and suspension) and mentally it was really tough.”“That’s probably the toughest thing about football, injuries and other things that you can’t control.”
“Physically, I do feel really good and I felt fully fit on Saturday like I have during the last couple of games.”
“I don’t think it has affected me at all (physically), but as I said, mentally it was really tough.”
Despite his stop-start season, Conlon does believe that he has improved as a player during this season.
“Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself higher up the pitch, and I’ve found myself getting the ball, turning, and being in good positions and even though I’ve only got one, being able to score a goal.
Being the holder of last season’s goal of the season award, Conlon would love to get his hands on the award again this season.
“I’ve got to try and pull one of them goals out!”
“I scored against Colchester which was half-decent, but I’ll take a goal anywhere!”
The midfielder is out of contract in the summer, and will be hoping to impress manager John Askey to earn himself a new deal, in the remaining weeks of the season.
“It’s something personally that I’m not thinking about too much at the moment.”
“We’re doing quite well, so I think it’d be different if I wasn’t doing so well.”
“If we finish really strong and I play really well, then it looks really good on me, so hopefully that can only bring good things!”
And Conlon says that despite their being multiple players vying for the same position as him, there is a positive atmosphere amongst the team.
“We’re all fighting for the same place which can be tough, but we all get on really well.”
“I finished the game on Saturday and Manny (Oyeleke) came up to me and told me I was doing really well, so it’s just little things like that.”
“We’re all a team at the end of the day, we all push each other and Manny will be working just as hard as I am, and that’s how we get the best out of each other.”
“That’s the start of a good team, you have to have a good group and good bunch of people all pulling in the same direction.”