Valiants are left floored by Cook's combination in Boxing Day clash

THERE was little festive cheer for Port Vale on their Boxing Day trip to Bradford City. CLIVE YOULTON continues his review of the Valiants’ season...

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FOLLOWING two drab 0-0 draws, Port Vale manager Darren Moore was relishing a Boxing Day return to one of his former clubs, Bradford City.

The former central defender had been part of a promotion winning team at Valley Parade in a two-year spell from 1997.

Looking ahead to the Boxing Day clash in Yorkshire in front of an expected crowd of more than 18,000, Moore said: “In terms of the support at the level that we are at, Bradford's is larger than most, maybe even the largest in the league.

“We go up there and the atmosphere will be excellent. A great occasion, in a wonderful arena. Being a former player there myself, I know what we are stepping into. It's another game that we know we are going to have to be at our level best to get the right result there.”

Meanwhile, Vale legend Phil Sproson reckoned the Valiants needed to bring in another forward and insisted on BBC Radio Stoke, “the club haven't got a potent goalscorer who can poach you a goal from nothing.”

For all the attacking talent at Vale, they had simply dried up in front of goal and had scored just three times in their past seven League Two matches. They had drawn a blank in their previous three.

Sproson admitted: “I still think we have got a number of players who chip in with goals, which is okay, but we haven't got a real goal threat up there. We haven't got a potent striker that can poach you a goal from nothing.”