Great finish to a bad year
Micky Adams was understandably buzzing after the win against Dagenham took his side to the top of the league, capping off a bizarre twelve months.
Vale have really gone through the mill in 2012, which has seen the go through several months of administration, a failed takeover, players’ contracts withdrawn, debts, and finally top spot in League Two.
Adams has seen it all before of course, but couldn’t help but smile as Vale took full advantage of Gillingham’s postponed game to leapfrog Martin Allen’s side in their final match of the year.
The Vale boss said: “I am delighted with the performance, I thought we showed real fighting qualities and we played some good stuff as well.
“I am disappointed that the game wasn’t put to bed earlier and I was really disappointed with one refereeing decision, well perhaps not a refereeing decision, more of a linesman’s decision.
“But overall we’ve got to be delighted to be top of the league going into the New Year and we’re all dead chuffed with that.
“We got off to a great start. It’s probably the first time a long throw has worked for us this season, and thankfully Popey was on the end of another decent move and then to go two-nil up inside ten minutes was a dream start for us.”
Jennison Myrie-Williams netted Vale’s second goal on 9 minutes before Louis Dodds restored their two-goal advantage following a ‘dodgy’ penalty decision which saw the home side pull one back from the spot.
Adams said: “Louis Dodds looks rejuvenated at the moment. He looks a confident boy, and that’s not any credit to me, that’s down to him.
“He started the season fantastically well and the quality of his goal was probably one of the best goals I have seen at this level for a while, the way he took it, and he is capable of doing that.
“Jennison Myrie-Williams has been dying to get on the score sheet and he has finally got a goal – that might cheer him up, but over all we had some decent performances out there today, to a man, they stood tall.”
Vale had been expecting a tough game, and the home side didn’t disappoint. Adams continued: “You know what you are going to get with Dagenham, it’s never an easy game down here. People will probably look at the result and say that it was easy – it wasn’t, you don’t get an easy game.
“They have a way of playing that puts defenders under pressure, and particularly with the conditions as well, but I thought we adapted very, very well today.
“We are now there to be shot at. Teams will raise their game against us and probably it will be the biggest game for some teams and we have got to be able to cope with that.
“A couple of seasons ago when we were top of the league we didn’t particularly cope with it, but we are a different breed, we are a different set of players and I hope we can deal with it, but only time will tell. “we’ll give it a real go, that’s for sure.
“The players know how hard it was to get the top spot and they have got to continue in the same vein. They have got a real work ethic, they look fit, they look organised and that is credit to all my staff.
“We will take each game as it comes. Today was only three points, but it has taken us to the top of the league and we are there to be shot at now.