Snodin praise for Garner

Joe Garner continues to amaze Preston assistant boss Glynn Snodin after scoring another great goal in the 3-2 JPT win over Port Vale.

The 26-year-old restored North End's lead with a nonchalant first-time chip shortly after Tom Pope had cancelled out Chris Humphrey's opener. Paul Gallagher then followed up Garner's effort to increase the Lilywhites' advantage, meaning Pope's second goal late on was a mere consolation. But it was Garner's innovative strike - his eighth goal in 12 games this season - which left Snodin impressed. "We let in a goal near the end so you get a nervy five minutes but I thought we were in control, especially the first half," Snodin said. "Second half we created some good chances and it's another great goal from Joe Garner. You think you've seen everything from him and then all of a sudden he produces something once again. "If it was in the Premier League or the Champions League it would be on (TV) every day and they should show that every day because that was a quality finish." The goal came at the same end as his incredible strike against Rotherham in the play-offs last season when Garner flicked the ball over a defender before unleashing another jaw-dropping finish. The boyhood Preston fan signed a new contract in the summer and Snodin knows North End continue to profit from his rich vein of goalscoring form. "The confidence level is fantastic with him and when you're full of confidence like that you try things," he explained. "That's what Joe does; he does it in training and they're not flukes, he's been doing it for a long time now." Vale's caretaker boss Rob Page suffered a second straight loss in four days and lamented his side's defensive fragilities. Page, a former defender himself, wants his men to show the type of steel they produced in previous away outings at Bradford and Fleetwood. "We've just got to get the balance right," he admitted. "We've gone from two away performances when I think we were defensively well organised to today, when I didn't think we got that quite right. "Some of our play at times was decent but it's about getting the balance right. I've looked at the three goals again and apart from the second one where he's put it in the top corner, the other two I think we can do a lot better with. That's what I'm bitterly disappointed about." While Garner's purple patch continued, the visitors' own lethal marksman ended a mini drought at the other end. After a glut of early goals, Pope had gone nine games without scoring before his brace at Deepdale, and Page was pleased to see his tally increase to seven for the campaign. "He's had a tough time, Tom," Page added. "I'm glad to see him back on the scoresheet and it's a test of character when it's not going your way as a striker. But, fair play, he's had two efforts and he's got two goals from it."