Saturday 7 March 2015 18:55, UK
Port Vale boss Robert Page was delighted to see his side keep up their play-off push with a 3-2 win over Coventry.
The Valiants kept up their play-off aspirations alive by spoiling Tony Mowbray's first game in charge at Coventry. Vale slipped behind in the fourth minute when Coventry skipper Jim O'Brien fired home from long-range, but bounced back to lead 2-1 at the break. Tom Pope scored from six yards after Michael O'Connor's scuffed shot had travelled through a group of bodies and landed at his feet. Mark Marshall then played a one-two with O'Connor before cracking the ball home from inside the penalty area. Mowbray threw on Sanmi Odelusi in the second half and the young winger drew City level after latching on to Frank Nouble's pass and firing home. The game could have gone either way after that, but it was the visitors who nicked it when O'Connor curled in a free-kick from the edge of the box with 14 minutes remaining. Vale boss Page, whose side bounced back from defeat in midweek to make it four wins in five, said: "That was off the back of a defeat where I said to the boys that two or three of them didn't turn up. "I let them know what I thought, but I also felt it was only right to let them put it right by sticking with the same team - then we got off to the worst possible start. "Credit it to the boys because it took us a while to get used to the conditions and once we managed that, I thought we played some terrific stuff. "I've great characters in that dressing room and there is a real never-say-die attitude. "That's what I've asked of them ever since I've taken over - first and foremost we work our socks off. Not only do I appreciate that, but the fans do too. "Our work ethic without the ball is helping us away from home - just to be hard to beat - and although we didn't keep a clean sheet, we got the three points." Mowbray said: "We can only get better from here and I would have loved to have given the supporters a win. "We have to find a way and find a solution to win some football matches with the players we have got. "There is an opportunity for us to do that with a game on Tuesday night, but it will be another tough game. "We are a pretty young team and a pretty naive team at times, but when we got back to 2-2 it looked like only one team was going to win it. "Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way because we gave away a soft free-kick when we were completely in control of the situation and then found ourselves behind. "We shouldn't be surprised where we are because the mistakes we saw are the mistakes of inexperienced footballers. "I can't fault their endeavour and their determination, but maybe we have to go even more basic to find a way to win football matches."
