Play game not occasion, says Vale manager

Moore wants ‘moments turned into points’

- Clive Youlton

PORT Vale head into crunch lunchtime battle against bottom club Plymouth Argyle, tomorrow, with Darren Moore declaring “we have to play the game not the occasion.”

The stark reality is, barring a seven-goal swing with Exeter City, the Valiants will remain in the bottom four even if they manage to record only a fourth League One win of the campaign from 17 attempts.

It's a dire situation for Moore and his players who haven't scored in their last four league outings, although they will gain some solace from a 0-0 draw with Wycombe Wanderers which stopped a run of three straight league defeats.

Certainly, Moore needs a win, with Vale having the fewest number of victories of any team in the division while they have scored a paltry 11 goals in their 16 league games, again the worst in League One, with even tomorrow’s opponents having scored seven more. But despite being under pressure, he remains upbeat.

In his pre-match press conference, when it was suggested it was a particularly big game he replied: “I try and treat it as the next game because every game is a massive game and this is no different.”