Vale goalkeeper Chris Neal has backed Vale to bounce back next week after a disappointing 1-0 away defeat to Colchester United.

Neal who featured in all 46 League 2 matches for the Valiants last season was Vale’s standout performer at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Neal produced two stunning saves to keep the tie level but could do nothing to prevent Gavin Massey from tapping in Colchester’s winner after 74 minutes.

“It’s nice to put in good personal performances but at the end of the day the reason we play football on a Saturday is to pick up the three points and we haven’t done that today,” Neal said.

The Vale number one has backed the Valiants to kick-start their season next week with the visit of Bradford City.

Neal insists the players will be back on the training ground to put right the wrongs of today’s (Saturday’s) performance.

Neal said: “To come away from here with nothing is obviously disappointing but we have got to take stock of what’s happen today and get back into training on Monday and work on the next one and make sure it doesn’t happen next Saturday as well.”

Neal was Vale’s busiest player of the afternoon, making save after save and the goalkeeper, who is playing in League 1 for the first time in his career was quick to state his saves were of little value as Vale failed to pick up the three points.

“The first one you get the striker one-on-one with you and you get a little touch at their feet once they take that touch you look to close them down.

“The second one was a reaction save, it’s nice to make saves but at the end of the day it has not counted for anything today.”

After three games in a week Vale have drawn one, lost two, albeit the defeat to Walsall was in the Capital One Cup but Neal is confident the side can find their feet soon enough and start putting wins on the board.

“I think it shows the quality in the league, stepping up a league shows the quality that we are going to come up against.

“It’ll take a couple games to get used to that and the quicker we do so the quicker we’ll be able to get three points.”

Neal explained: “We’ve played two league and one cup game all three from League 1, it does show the quality of the team up in this league but I don’t think we have been outclassed massively in any of the games we’ve played.

“If we just keep doing what we’re doing I think we’ll be fine."