Ahead of Saturday afternoon's game, club captain Ben Garrity and gaffer, Darren Moore joined us in Thursday's press conference with our local media.
After making his long-awaited return from injury, our skipper Ben Garrity expressed mixed emotions about being back on the pitch.
“It was good to be back, but I'm disappointed with the result – (it was) a real sucker punch,” Garrity said. Despite that setback, the skipper said of his return “I feel as good as I’ve ever felt.”
Looking ahead at Saturday's fixture, Garrity stressed the importance of securing that first league win.
“Yeah, it’s massive” he explained. “We need to be a bit more clinical but also keep the ball out of the net. The two goals we conceded on Tuesday were really poor."
“They’ve got off to a flyer, to be fair,” he said. “We played them two or three times last season, and they were really tough."
Watch the full pre-match press conference in the video below.
Manager Darren Moore followed Ben Garrity in the press room and shared his thoughts following Tuesday night’s result, reflecting on the lessons learned, providing a squad injury update, and looking ahead to Saturday’s clash with Doncaster at Vale Park.
The gaffer was clear about what we can take away from the midweek setback.
“This season, the games are certainly never over if you think they’re over,” he said. “It was a game we dominated, but we’ve come out of it with nothing to show, due to a short lapse of concentration.
"We’ve got to maintain the high standards we’ve set ourselves at the start of the season.
“We know the standard has gone up because we’ve moved up the leagues,” he explained. “But the squad has shown a wonderful appetite when they’ve faced adversity, to go on and play well.”
An injury update was also provided with Moore confirming that Jayden Stockley is set for a spell on the sidelines.
“Jayden picked up a muscle injury, so he’s facing a few weeks out,” he revealed. “Funso was a contact injury and Shipley felt a tweak in the muscles, but both should be okay for Saturday’s game.”
With Jayden ruled out, the gaffer highlighted the importance of Mo Faal stepping up in his absence.
“We’re so pleased to have Mo on board. We’re giving him the right level of training and drip-feeding him game time to get him up to speed.
"You’ve seen the aerial presence he has – he’s such a wonderful individual and carries an unbelievable threat.”
Looking ahead to the weekend’s clash with Doncaster, Moore expects an entertaining contest.
“Both teams know each other really well. They’re a different team to last season and they’re likely to play fast, quick football.
"The way both teams play suggests it’s going to be a fast game. They score goals, and they’ve been known for that with their attacking flair. It’s good to be back at Vale Park for a 3 o’clock kick-off with the fans and we’re looking forward to it.”
Watch the full pre-match press conference in the video below.