Dodds admits Vale didn't take their chances
Port Vale forward Louis Dodds believes Vale had enough chances to win the match against Oldham Athletic after the Valiants lost 3-1 at Boundary Park.
Oldham striker Adam Rooney bagged a brace either side of half-time, while Vale winger Jennision Myrie-Williams’ stunning effort drew Vale level on the half-hour-mark.
James Dayton sealed the points for Oldham after 71 minutes on a damp afternoon at Boundary Park.
Dodds said afterwards: “He (Micky Adams) is just disappointed, I think we have had enough chances throughout that game to get three points and to come away with nothing is disappointing, it is not what we needed.
“He is punishing us to ram home the point that last season we could get away with it, this season you get punished and you end up losing the games.
“He’s drumming it into us and I think we are going to have to learn the hard way.”
Vale started brightly and had an opportunity to go into the break 2-1 up but Oldham goalkeeper Mark Oxley saved Lee Hughes’ penalty and Vale failed to get a foothold on the second-half.
Dodds said: “I think at the minute there are a few of us still trying to adjust to the league and better class of opposition.
“We need to address that and go from there.
“Coming into it we were positive, thinking we could get points out of this and it has not gone that way, we’ve got a really tough game against the league favourites so it’s going to be hard.”
Vale manager Adams has ordered the players to report to training tomorrow (Sunday) and Dodds believes it’s going to take hard work and graft to get to grips with SkyBet League 1.
“We’ve got to put the work in this week to rectify a bad performance.
“It is going to be a lot of hard work and graft and a lot of time spent on the training ground.
“When you lose a game you’ve got to do it, it’s going to be a long old week,” he said.
Dodds has yet to start a game for Vale this season but has appeared regularly as a substitute and the attacking forward believes Vale’s defeat could open up a starting place for himself.
“I am obviously frustrated but at the minute I think the lads have doing ok, obviously we are not getting the results at the moment.
“Maybe this defeat will open the door for me and hopefully I can go onto bigger and better things and get more starts.
“It’s a silver lining, you’re all friends in there but you want to take your mates place and get that starting position.”