Despite Jake Taylor grabbing his first goal for the club since he re-joined in the January transfer window, a brace by James Vaughan and a Kaiyne Woolery opener guided the hosts to a 3-1 victory.
After the game when revealing his thoughts on the encounter Interim Manager Danny Pugh said: “They are a good opposition but from our point of view the goals we conceded were soft really.
“We could have done better, and we have not created enough chances, so it has been a disappointing afternoon.”
When commenting on the three goals that the Valiants conceded, the 38-year-old said: “It is very frustrating. We have looked at things, we have worked on things and again today we have conceded goals.
“The players are frustrated, they are disappointed, but again it is something that we need to go back to and keep working hard on.”
Despite the disappointing result, the former Vale player was full of praise for goalkeeper Scott Brown, who made a string of impressive stops throughout the entirety of the match.
Pugh said: “He has made three or four great saves today, but he is a top-class keeper. He is a top professional; he works hard week in week out and I have never had any doubts about Browny.”
Another positive for the club yesterday was the introduction of Nottingham Forest loan striker Will Swan who made his debut for the club as a second half substitute.
When talking of his early impressions of the 20 year old, Danny said: “He is quick, he is sharp, he is very lively around the box and I think he will score goals, so I am looking forward to seeing more of him.”
The Sky Bet League Two game at Prenton Park marked the seventh game that Pugh had taken charge of since being appointed as interim boss almost a month ago and it is clear that he is very proud of the attitude and commitment that the players have shown during that time.
“They have been absolutely brilliant and it has been quite an unsettling time for them with not knowing what is going on, but I can’t fault the effort, the work rate, the commitment and the professionalism one bit to be honest. So, on that side of things they have been absolutely excellent.”
Finally, Pugh revealed that throughout his time in temporary charge of the Vale, the owners have been really supportive towards himself and everyone involved with the club.
“I have been speaking to Carol (Shanahan) and the board on a regular basis. They have been massively supportive towards myself, the players and the staff here while all of this is ongoing, so I am in regular contact with everyone at the club.”