66 year hoodoo is over

Micky Adams was understandably more than happy with Vale’s first away win against Walsall since 1947 and he was quick to praise youmg goalkeeper Sam Johnson, and striker Gavin Tomlin in particular.

He said: “I thought we were excellent from start to finish. We started the game really well, came under a bit of pressure in the second half, but what pleased me the most was the defending.

“I thought we were resolute and we saw that with Preston on Tuesday night, how keen they were to keep a clean sheet and I thought we had all the ingredients today.

“We kept good shape, worked really hard for each other, which was important and we bounced back great from a disappointing Tuesday.

“We were gutted on Friday morning to lose our goalkeeper just when the window shuts, but Sam has been waiting for a chance and we are never going to know how good this kid is unless we put him in there.

“There were no real qualms about it, he has good memories of this place any way with his penalty heroics here and I thought he was admirable, the work that he did.

“He didn’t have a lot to do thanks to the lads in front of him, so well done to them, but the work that he did do was terrific.

“Chris Neal has got a wrist injury, which is never good for a goalkeeper, so if we get him back within a month we have done well.”

Striker Gavin Tomlin was given a start alongside Tom Pope and he rewarded the gaffer with a well taken goal to add to Pope’s earlier strike.

Adams was not too surprised in Tomlin’s performance and was pleased not only with his goal, but also his work ethic.

He said: “He has shown today why I brought him to this football club. I thought his link up play was excellent with Tom.

“What he did also was, he dropped on to the back of their deep lying midfield player and it allowed us to nullify their real strengths, which is their two wide men coming off the line.

“Also Sawyer was in behind the main striker, so we nullified all of their good players, and we were able to do that because of what Gavin did, but to cap it all he got a good goal as well and I think he has shown today exactly why I brought him to the club.”