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Interviews

David Worrall full of praise for Vale defence following Northampton win

9 February 2020

Interviews

David Worrall full of praise for Vale defence following Northampton win

9 February 2020

Yesterday's clean sheet was the Valiants' third in their last four league wins, and Worrall emphasises just how impressive the Vale backline were in keeping the Cobblers at bay.

Mitch Clark and Shaun Brisley both retained their places in the starting 11 for yesterday’s match, and Worrall had strong praise, especially for the latter following a solid display from the centre-half.

The Vale winger, who has recently signed a new two-year extension at the club, believes that the defensive display lifted the rest of the side and allowed them to go and win the match which thanks to Worrall’s second-half header, they did.

Nathan Smith returned to the matchday squad yesterday afternoon following his injury which kept him out of the side against Exeter and Salford, and the Vale number 7 stresses that the squad is getting stronger which will present healthy competition.

“You could tell it was against us, they threw everything at us, we stood up to it, I thought Briz [Shaun Brisley] and Leggey [Leon Legge], they bullied their centre-forwards and their striker is probably the best in the air in the league, and in my eyes they bullied him.

“When you’ve got that, it lifts the whole team going forward because you think he’s running everything, so we need to pull our finger out and do a bit more and get the win, and we did that.

“He [Shaun Brisley] was a different animal today, he won everything, bullied their forwards, he was aggressive and that’s what you want.

“Now we’ve got Leggey, Briz and Smudge [Nathan Smith], that’s three great centre-backs, the squad is getting stronger and people are coming forward to take other people’s positions and that’s what you want."

The Vale had already beaten four of the current top-seven prior to yesterday’s win, and Worrall explains how the mentality of the squad keeps improving after each win.

The victory leaves Askey’s side in ninth place and outside the play-offs solely on goal difference, and the Vale winger admits that it puts the club in a much better position going forward.

A win on Tuesday night agains Forest Green Rovers could see the Vale sneak into the play-off spots, and if that should happen, Worrall emphasises that it would be fully deserved.

“The mentality has always been good here but this just adds to it, each game we keep winning it keeps adding, the celebrations after the game, that speaks for itself.

“Going over to the fans and seeing them, especially when I scored the first thing I saw was them, I wanted to get in there but the referee started blowing his whistle, but it’s huge for the football club, it puts us in an even better position.

“Obviously we’re not in there at the minute, I think we’re ninth now, but if we get in there then we deserve to be there."

 


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