Assistant manager praises performance as the Vale’s organisation and structure within the game told against Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon.
- Andy Crosby | “I thought we managed the game really well”
- Assistant manager discusses Vale’s control in 1-0 win against Lincoln City, Danny Butterworth’s first goal for the club and assesses opening three months of the campaign
- Crosby: “We keep trying to look at the process and the performance and if you get those things right, nine times out of 10 you get three points.”
Port Vale assistant manager Andy Crosby was pleased with how the Vale managed the game against Lincoln City as Darrell Clarke’s side moved into the top half of the League One table with a 1-0 victory.
The Imps arrived at Vale Park having recorded away league wins at Ipswich Town, Bristol Rovers, Oxford United and Barnsley, though Crosby said the way in which Clarke’s side managed the game was significant in securing the three points.
“It was our third game in a week against opponents who have been on a really good run,” Crosby explained. “They play with a style which meant that we had to keep transitions to a low because they have real pace and threat on the counter attack.
“I thought we managed the game really well; they maybe settled quicker than we did but once we got into a rhythm, I thought the way we kept the ball and the spaces we could utilise on the pitch against their formation, we did. It was always a close game – there was always something likely to happen and maybe it had 1-0 written all over it so, thankfully for us, we got the one moment and Butts arrives in the box and tucks it away really well.
“They play in a mid-low block; they went to Ipswich and had 28% possession and won 1-0, with 31 shots against. They have the tools to hurt you on the counter attack, so we had to be wary of that and we spoke about it yesterday, pre-game and at half-time because our concentration and organisation while we were attacking had to be bang on.”
The victory means the Vale have come through a month which included four league fixtures against sides above them in the League One table with ten points.
Clarke’s side also secured progress in the Papa Johns Trophy and Crosby said the importance of the squad was again highlighted as a side including six changes also had to make three substitutions before the start of the second-half as Ben Garrity, David Worrall and Will Forrester all had to be replaced.
“It is a massive squad effort,” Crosby explained. “Following six games in the month, to pick up ten points against the calibre of opponents we have played has made it a really good month. To finish on three points today makes it a good month.
“Virtually every player has had minutes this month and you have to be ready; you never know when the team is going to change and we picked a team today to be fresh, to go into the third game of the week and be ready for their threat but also to try and utilise the ball and thankfully the guys have come in and done the job.
“I think, in all honesty, we are a little disappointed with the points total we have from the games we have played. I think we ran Ipswich really close on Tuesday night and probably deserved something for the effort and the quality we showed on the day.
“We keep trying to look at the process and the performance and if you get those things right, nine times out of 10 you get three points.”
On goalscorer Butterworth, who notched his first Port Vale goal and the 250th strike under the Shanahan ownership, Crosby added:
“Dan is a massive threat if you can get the ball to him in spaces,” he said. “He can drive away from people and he has great end product. We have to try and get him into better goalscoring positions rather than doing his work outside the box, because as a number ten – so to speak – he has to create chances and score goals as well.
“Massive credit to him, he comes in having been a little frustrated he hasn’t had more opportunities because he has done well when he has played. He got the decisive goal and will go home in a happy place.”