Neil Aspin will be looking for a response from his team this weekend as Vale host Yeovil Town in the second round of the FA Cup.
Following two defeats against Mansfield and Lincoln City in Sky Bet League Two, players and staff alike will be looking to put a disappointing week behind them.
“There are no excuses, it’s been a very disappointing week in terms of results,” Aspin said.
“We can take some positives out of the first half against Mansfield, but other than that there’s very little to take out of the week.
“I’m not happy at this moment in time with the way those games have gone, but we have a chance on Saturday to put that right.
“It’s a cup tie, it’s a one-off game and you’d hope that the players who feature can put the past week behind them.”
While reiterating that picking up points in the league has to be the priority, the manager knows how important wins in any competition can be to build confidence.
“Of course any wins you get, you’d rather them be in the league, but you can never say that the FA Cup isn’t important,” Aspin said.
“It’s a massive competition and one that can give everyone a lift, regardless of your league form.
“We want to stay in the FA Cup and we did well in the first round to beat Oxford and get into this position.
“We’ve got to treat Saturday exactly how we did the Oxford game and if you can do well and progress in the cup, it can only have a positive influence on the league.”