Manager praises positive collective performance and game control as his side secure 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town on Saturday afternoon.

• Darrell Clarke | “Everyone played their part”
• Port Vale manager reflects on his side’s 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town in League One
• Clarke: “I thought it was a really positive performance; we had a lot of control in the game, had the better chances and we kept going until the end.”

Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke said his side displayed good control in a positive performance as the Vale defeated Shrewsbury Town on Saturday afternoon.

Ellis Harrison’s double sealed a 2-1 victory at Vale Park as the Vale made it four unbeaten in all competitions.

Reflecting post-match on iFollow The Vale, Clarke said:

“I thought it was a really positive performance; we had a lot of control in the game, had the better chances and we kept going until the end.

“Everyone to a man today played their part; Dan Butterworth made his full debut, it was Gavin Massey’s first league start and there was some good control in the game and good connections on the pitch on a day where the players all performed – in my opinion – with and without the ball.

“We are disappointed with the goal we conceded but it is testament to the work of my coaching staff on the training pitch because we are trying to get better control in games and today we saw the fruits of that, because that’s what we looked.

“We got into the final third on numerous occasions and could be a little bit picky about being more clinical with the final ball but I thought it was a good game to watch from our point of view.

“That is more match minutes for our players, we have another game on Tuesday night now and we’ll just keep developing and trying to progress.

“It is a good win today but we will stay consistent and not get too high when we win and not too low when we don’t. We keep developing and working – as we have to do as a football club – to compete at this level first and foremost and then try and kick on from there. We haven’t got a timescale on that but we will keep working away.”

On striker Harrison, who now has five goals in seven league games for the Vale, Clarke continued:

“It was a great cross from Wozza [David Worrall] that we know he is capable of and a great header from Ellis [Harrison].

“Ellis is working very hard for the team, he’s getting on the end of crosses and he said after the game, thank god I scored a couple because I was rubbish today! That’s where he sets his standards.”