Defender targeting more of the same

Defender Daniel Jones is more than happy after Vale managed a clean sheet against Walsall on Saturday and says he hopes there is more between now and the end of the season.

“The pressure is now off in terms of safety, but the players are determined to finish as high as they possibly can and they will be giving the manager one hundred per cent in their final five games.

Jones says: “We are just taking every game as it comes and we are doing well at the moment as a team and what we are doing in training is paying off in the games.

“We have been looking for clean sheets and we got one on Saturday and it looks good when you are not conceding goals.

“Every clean sheet we get is brilliant – it is something we take pride in as defenders. We haven’t had many this season but I think we have defended well in the last few games.

“We need to keep doing what we are doing and keep enjoying our football, keep playing football and just take every game as it comes – from a personal point of view, I want to keep playing with a smile on my face.

“It has not been the most enjoyable of seasons for me to be honest with all the injuries, but you have got to deal with what life throws at you.

“But as a team we have achieved a lot. The players who have come in have been brilliant and the loan signings have been really good and really helpful for the team as well - we have got a good togetherness and have done really well.

“There are a lot of players who are up at the end of the season, but it would be nice if could retain them all and push on next season.”