Port Vale manager Darren Moore has urged his side to win ugly as they continue to search for their first three points of the season.
The Valiants returned to League One at the first time of asking after a second placed finish in League Two last season. They have picked up just two points from their opening seven games, earning draws against Cardiff City and Burton Albion last month.
They fell to a late 3-2 defeat at the hands of Leyton Orient on Saturday, which was their fourth league loss in succession. However, they are arguably the unluckiest side in the division, with all five of their reverses coming by a single goal.
Moore Bemoans Luck But Issues Rallying Call
The weekend’s defeat against Orient was another bitter blow, especially because their performance deserved at least a point. The result means they remain in the bottom four and are one of two teams alongside Peterborough United still searching for that first victory.
Addressing their recent woes, Moore admitted that it is going to take a ‘near-flawless’ performance to finally get over the line. Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, the former Sheffield Wednesday boss said:
“We got back into the game and it looked like we were knocking on the door.
“We hit the crossbar, there were a couple of flashes across the goalmouth, the keeper pulling off a save.
“Where we’re at at the moment, everything that we’re doing wrong is getting punished and it looks like a first Vale win of the season is going to be the ugliest win ever because of the situation that we’re in.”
“We’ve got to put some of the wrongs that we’re doing right because we’ve got to play almost a near-flawless game for Port Vale to get those points and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Writer’s View
There’s no doubting that Port Vale have been unlucky so far this season, but it is a situation they need to address. It’s odd to say that they are tough to beat considering they have lost five of their seven league fixtures, but those that they have played know they’ve had to work hard for the three points. There has been glimpses that they are more than capable in this division, especially in their Carabao Cup wins over Blackpool and Birmingham City. Darren Moore will be hoping that the trip to Exeter City on Saturday will be more fruitful.
