Port Vale midfielder Luke Joyce was in high spirits following yesterday’s 3-1 win over Morecambe where the team displayed great character in a game they felt they “had to win”.
The Valiants were able to extend their unbeaten home run to six games and pick up another three points, by coming from behind to get an important win after a disappointing draw away at Leyton Orient last Saturday.
Joyce believes the win will once again boost the confidence felt within the squad as they were able to claim all the points in a game where they were forced to break down a difficult and defensively compact side, that has been a bogey team for Vale in past.
Although the visitors were reduced to 10 men in the first-half, they were in the lead and as such opted to sit back and try and see out the game, but Joyce credited his teammates for how hard they worked to break them down and the attitudes displayed throughout the match.
Joyce also praised the team for their ability to fight back once again from behind, like they did against Mansfield and Orient, but this time were able to win the game too, adding how much good that will do for the mindset of the squad going forward.
He said: “It’s a game we knew coming into, that we had to win really, to build on our home form and build on the point we got last week and we’re just happy we’ve got that win.
“When teams go down to 10 men, for the team with the man extra it’s hard work and you don’t always necessarily get that result... it can be tough to play against, you just need to be disciplined and professional.
“I think it will do the lads a world of good being a goal down as well at home, to come back and score three, and we scored three last week, confidence is high within the squad and within the changing room.”
Adding more goals to games was one of the main aims for manager John Askey at the start of the season and that has been a success so far, with the team scoring nine goals in their last three games, and Joyce himself popped up with a stunning volley yesterday to get his first goal for the Vale and bring the side level.
Joyce admitted it was a special moment as it’s not something he does every day but felt it is something he has in his locker, and the goal was another example of a positive sign amongst the team, as goals are coming from all over the pitch, with no single player being solely relied upon.
That drive for success of every single member of the squad has impressed Joyce, with each player desperate to work their way into the starting lineup, and he believes if they can keep their home form going and turn away draws into wins then they will be in for a successful season, and an excited Joyce looked forward to next week’s away trip to Macclesfield Town, where they look for their first away league win.
He said: “I’d like to think so [that the boys know he had that goal in him], if I said I did it every day in training I would be lying, but I think they were just as surprised I hit the target… I’m just happy it helped us get the three points really.
“We need everyone contributing and helping, we’ve got some real quality in the squad and we’ve got a lot of depth and everyone’s challenging and pushing themselves to be in that starting 11, but if we can keep scoring goals we’ll win games.
“It’ll [Macclesfield] be a fantastic game and to have all them fans behind us will be brilliant and spur the lads on, we know we should have won the game at Salford, should have won the game last week at Leyton Orient and it’s not happened, but hopefully we’ll get that monkey off our back next week and build on this win today.”