Vale defender Liam Chilvers was delighted to keep his place in the starting line-up today and was even more thrilled to be part of the Vale defence that kept the Valiants first clean-sheet of the season after a very late Tom Pope goal saw Vale secure a 1-0 win against Carlisle United.

Chilvers said afterwards: “We’ve come away and we’ve kept a clean-sheet, we knew it was going to be a tough game and it was.

“They’re down there at the bottom of the table, it was always going to be a bit of  a scrap but we stuck at it and we nicked a goal.

“I think Tuesday was a step in the right direction; the gaffer has decided to select the same team, which was great for the 11 lads that started.”

Defender Chilvers admits it wasn’t pretty at times today but insists sometimes you have to do the dirty work in order to get a first clean-sheet under your belt.

“You have to do all the things as a footballer you probably shouldn’t do, you have to be prepared to do all the horrible stuff and we did that today,” he explained.

The groin injury to Daniel Jones meant Carl Dickinson moved across to left-back with Chilvers at centre-back – the same as against Bury in midweek.

Chilvers believes a settled back-four has its benefits but admits changes are inevitable from time-to-time. 

“It is easier if you’ve got a settled team, you start to relax more, it happens when you come in and out of the team. 

“I’ve played quite a few games now, the better the teams you play against standard is better.

“It’s always nice to keep a back four together.”

Manager Micky Adams kept faith with the same back-four that beat Bury and Chilvers believes the players that started that game and this game have staked their first eleven claim for the weeks to come.

“I think everybody in terms of playing a game and you win you kind of think that’s my stake, I should be involved.

“We’ve kept a clean-sheet and done well,” he said.

Chilvers also warned SkyBet League 1 defenders that striker Pope is not completely back to his form of last season despite scoring four goals in three games.

He added: “I don’t think he’s back to completely how he was last season. Everything he touched went in.

“I think it has been difficult; we’ve come up against some decent teams and good defenders.”