Port Vale manager Darren Moore believes his side are better than the league table suggests following a 3-0 defeat against Stockport County.
The Valiants currently sit within the relegation places in League One after returning to the division this season. Their position can be largely attributed to their poor start, which saw them pick up just 2 points from their opening 7 games.
Moore stated at the time that he felt his team weren’t getting the rewards their performances suggested. This was backed up throughout September with 3 successive wins over Exeter City, Mansfield Town and Barnsley.
The Staffordshire-based side then extended their unbeaten run to 5 games with draws against Northampton Town and AFC Wimbledon. However, last night’s reverse now means that have recorded back-to-back defeats.
Moore Remains Defiant Despite Lowly Position
Vale were blown away by Stockport last night within the first half an hour of the game when goals from Nathan Lowe, Kyle Wootton and Jack Diamond saw the Hatters disappear over the horizon. It was a result which saw Dave Challinor’s side move to the top of the table, whilst their opponents remained in the drop zone.
🗣️ “We’ve got to demand more” says Darren Moore following this evening’s defeat
Watch the full interview on PVTV ⤵️#PVFC | #PVFC150
— Port Vale Football Club (@OfficialPVFC) October 27, 2025
“The boys are not showing a real true reflection in terms of where we’re at. Defensively this season we’ve been fine – really, really good – so to give soft goals away was the most disappointing part.
“We had two glorious chances in the first 10 minutes but we didn’t capitalise on them and we’ve got to demand more from ourselves in terms of when we get into those positions.”
Continuing, the former Sheffield Wednesday boss lauded Stockport, claiming they are the ‘complete package’:
“I don’t think you will see a team more of a complete package than them. They really are a good team and have continued where they have left off last season.
“We almost needed a flawless display against this lot here because they are a top, top team. But the group will certainly learn from that.”
Stockport are heading to the top of League One. A perfect Monday night out for these fans! 💙#StockportCounty
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) October 27, 2025
Writer’s View
The old saying goes that the league table never lies, but does Darren Moore have somewhat of a point? Interestingly, he does. Port Vale’s lowly position is largely down to their early season form, which saw them lose 5 of their opening 7 games.
Since then, the Valiants have been tough to beat, despite losing their last 2. Looking at the past 8 fixtures, they actually rank 10th in the League One form table. This suggests that over the course of the remaining 32 games, they will have enough to drag themselves to safety.
