As Port Vale prepare to travel to Broadhall Way to take on Stevenage tomorrow, manager John Askey admitted the game will be a challenging one against the struggling side.
Stevenage have had a difficult season so far and sit second from bottom of the league, but recently underwent a change in management, and the gaffer expressed how they will pose a significant challenge as a side fighting for survival.
After a hectic run of games, the boss has called for his players to dig deep and fight for all three points tomorrow having already seen this season that no game is easy, no matter the oppositions league position.
No matter how strong the opposition are, Askey expressed how when his side perform at their best there is no reason they cannot defeat any side that is put in front of them.
After the buzz of the Manchester City game, the gaffer remains hopeful that the players will carry the momentum and drive into the coming league games.
He said: “I don’t think it matters who you play in the league, whether it’s top, middle or bottom, I think we’ve proved that with our results.
“If you look at Stevenage, results of late haven’t been that bad, it’s going to be a tough game, they’re fighting for their lives, new manager’s come in, he’s changed it and they look a stronger team.
“We know from other games that if we’re at it and we play to our best then there’s a good chance we’ll win the game.
“We just want to keep it [the buzz] going and hopefully we can do that at Stevenage, because it’s a really important time for us, we don’t want this season to just slip away now, since the start of the season there’s been a really good feel round the football club, the last thing we want to do now, now that we’re out of the cup competitions, is to let the league slide away from us.”
In a bid to maintain the attempt to strive towards promotion the club are looking into who they can recruit in the January transfer window.
21-year old defender Jordan Gabriel has been training with the team in a bid to earn a loan move from Nottingham Forest and the gaffer described how he has been getting on and the skills he possesses.
He also provided an update on Jake Taylor’s situation as his loan as set to expire on the 18th of January, explaining how talks with Forest over keeping the player are in motion, with an extended loan the most likely way of keeping him at the club.
He said: “He’s [Gabriel] come in yesterday and done well, he seems a decent lad, so it’s good when teams like Forest allow us to look at them. Before we think about taking them on.
“He’s [Gabriel] athletic, he’s strong and he’s got good quality on the ball.
“Jake’s [situation] is ongoing, he’s still with us until the 18th so obviously we’re just waiting on what Forest want to do.”