'Frustration' for fans, players and manager as Vale failed to win

Last December was a month to forget for Port Vale. CLIVE YOULTON continues his review of the Valiants’ season...

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ASK any of the Port Vale players and they would refer to the month of December 2024 as a ‘sticky patch’.

Some would suggest it was rather more than that as they didn’t win a single League Two match from Monday November 25 through to January 4.

It was not the form of potential champions, nor promotion contenders.

Thankfully for Vale, this was a division where other teams just weren't good enough to take advantage.

The home match against bottom club Carlisle United on December 21 was a low point.

Boss Darren Moore was acutely aware his side needed to improve on their record of just one win in their previous six League Two matches.

Scoring goals had become an issue for Vale who had managed just 13 in their nine home league matches thus far.

The 1980s’ hit by The Jam, “That's Entertainment’ was not a tune the media team dared play at Vale Park.

Six of those goals came in back-to-back home games, against Fleetwood Town [won 3-1] and AFC Wimbledon [3-2], leaving just seven goals scored in the remaining seven matches.

They were not statistics that the Valiants fans had been overly bothered about because their team was winning.

“For us, for whatever reason ,we've not come out with the victories we've wanted to come out with,” admitted Moore via the club's website.

“Certainly we have to learn from what’s happened and make sure we apply ourselves in the right manner.