Davis hopes to build on win

Steve Davis hopes Crewe's 2-1 victory over Port Vale on Saturday will kick-start their season.

Goals from George Ray and Vadaine Oliver secured the Railwaymen their first points of the campaign with Jordan Slew's effort for the Valiants a mere consolation for Micky Adams' side. Crewe boss Davis said: "We needed a catalyst to get going, so we knew this was going to be an important game for us. "Hopefully we can build on it as it was a long time in coming. We had a bit of fortune in the second-half after dominating the first. "We got them back into it with the penalty and they upped the tempo in the second-half. "But we stood firm and showed great resilience, which with a young group on derby day is not easy. It is always nice to come out on top against Vale." Crewe looked anything but the basement club as they stunned their neighbours with two early goals. Ray hooked home a set-piece after just six minutes and Oliver doubled the lead with a towering header in the 19th-minute. Adams' side were surprisingly muscled out of the game by a team which had previously shipped 13 goals in four league and cup games in front of their own fans. Vale looked vulnerable when the ball was tossed into the air. It was not just the height of Marcus Haber and Oliver which caused them problems, for pint-sized Billy Waters twice went close to adding to the first-half advantage with headers. Crewe were well on top when some careless defending from Ray gifted Vale a lifeline in the 32nd-minute. The defender tugged Slew's shirt and the Blackburn loan striker converted the resulting penalty at the second attempt after Ben Garratt beat out his first kick. Tom Pope drove a shot straight at Garratt from a good position as Vale fought back into contention after the break. But they lacked the quality to conjure up an equaliser and Adams admitted he would be concerned about his future if his side's run of five defeats continued. "I'm not daft enough to think that if we go on a poor run that my job is safe," said the Vale boss. "We spoke before the game about Crewe being on their knees and that we shouldn't give them a lift - which is what we did in the first 20 minutes. We lost the game then and I am bitterly disappointed with the way we defended. "Every time the ball went into our box from a set piece we looked vulnerable. We didn't cope with the second ball and although we grew into the game, particularly in the second half, when we dominated we couldn't force an equaliser. "Our results will change or they will change the manager. I know the consequences of losing too many games."