Cup continues to be a source of success in Brady's first match

PORT Vale named Darren Moore's successor ahead of their FA Cup tie against Fleetwood.

- CLIVE YOULTON

CLIVE YOULTON continues his review of the Valiants' season...

THE club's 150th anniversary game against Barnsley was frozen off so Jamie Smith's initial three-game stint as caretaker manager lasted two matches.

Remarkably, Vale had scored as many goals in one half against Blackpool as they had managed in all 10 previous home league games thus far.

Smith was pleased and while it is clear the players upped their levels after Moore left - playing for their livelihoods tends to have that effect - he believed the effort had been there previously.

“What we said to the players before the game was treat it as almost like a new season,” Smith told Port Vale TV after the hosts mauled 10-man Blackpool.

“Twenty four games to go, it's a new year, a new season and we have got 24 games to fight for our lives.”

Speaking to club's media, CEO Matt Hancock said: “Obviously we want a new manager in as soon as we can but we want to make sure that we have done our due-diligence and have gone through a relatively rigorous process in identifying a manager who is going to give us the best chance of winning football games."

Jayden Stockley admitted he was “emotional” having made a return to the Port Vale team having been largely overlooked during the season.