Manager reflects as the Vale held at Cheltenham Town on Saturday afternoon.

• Darrell Clarke | “A dominant performance just lacking a goal”
• Port Vale manager discusses his side’s 0-0 draw at Cheltenham Town, Nottingham Forest loanee Aaron Donnelly’s debut, Jamie Proctor’s return and an injury to defender Dan Jones
• Clarke: “I thought the back three were superb, with and without the ball, controlled large parts of it and we didn’t really look troubled too much other than one or two scares from set-pieces.”

Manager Darrell Clarke felt his side deserved more than a point as the Vale were held to a goalless draw at Cheltenham Town on Saturday afternoon.

Reflecting post-match, Clarke believed his side dominated proceedings and did everything but score as Dennis Politic was twice denied by Luke Southwood in the hosts’ goal and Rory Holden hit the crossbar with a close range header.

“I thought it was a dominant performance, just lacking a goal,” Clarke explained. “I thought we were the better team today, I thought we controlled large parts of the game.

“It was a great response to a big sucker punch on Tuesday night with a good performance.

“I look at our performance as a whole and the stuff that my coaching staff and myself have been working hard with, in getting control of the game, and we did that for large parts.

“Rory Holden hits the crossbar, we had one across the line in the first-half and these things will start going in for us. We have two top strikers coming back in a couple of weeks as well, so we will keep believing and keep working hard to keep putting in good performances.”

Northern Ireland youth international Aaron Donnelly made his Vale debut on the left of a back three after signing on loan from Nottingham Forest, and Clarke was delighted with the 19-year-old’s contribution.

“I thought Aaron was outstanding,” he said. “He got used to the pace of the game, controlled large parts of the game and showed great composure with the ball. [He showed] great decision making with and without the ball so I am really pleased with his full debut, he has fitted into the group very well.

“I thought the back three were superb, with and without the ball, controlled large parts of it and we didn’t really look troubled too much other than one or two scares from set-pieces.”

Striker Jamie Proctor made his first appearance since August as a second-half substitute, though defender Dan Jones missed the trip to Gloucestershire through injury.

“It was great [to welcome Proctor back],” Clarke continued. “He has only had a few days of training and it is going to take him a bit to get up to match fitness and match sharpness, but he is a great lad, a great lad to have in the changing rooms and hopefully [Ellis] Harrison and [James] Wilson won’t be too long as well and then all of a sudden we look like we have really good competition at the top end of the pitch.

“Dan [Jones] has been carrying one for a little bit; we need to manage him and that is why we have brought Aaron in the building because he is great in that position and good competition for places.

“We hope it won’t be long term for Dan, it’s a niggling problem he’s had for a while so we are trying to settle him down as best we can.”