Goalkeeper Scott Brown admitted how key returning to home action will be this weekend after four consecutive away fixtures as the team look to bounce back from defeat at Morecambe.

The Vale went two goals down inside 12 minutes last night and Vale’s number one expressed how the side gave themselves too much of a challenge to come back from in a game played under difficult conditions.

The first-half saw the Vale battle against the wind as they tried to get back into the game, but Brown stated how they cannot use the conditions as an excuse for the poor result.

The keeper also described the tiredness felt throughout the squad as the hectic Christmas and New Year period has seen the Valiants play at Vale Park just three times in their last ten games.

The Vale have lost just once this season at home in the league and Brown believes this weekends fixture against Leyton Orient at Vale Park will be challenging but provides a great opportunity to get back to winning ways.

He said: “We can’t use the conditions as an excuse but sometimes it’s a game of two halves, when you’re kicking into the wind you have to stay in the game as long as you can and at half-time if you can take 0-0, you take 0-0, but to go in 2-0 down was really disappointing, we gave ourselves a mountain to climb and we couldn’t climb it second-half.

“The gaffer said before the game, they’re fighting to stay in the league but we’re fighting to get out of it, so there was no reason for us to not fight more than they did and I don’t think we did that.

“It seems a long time ago [since we played at Vale Park], we’re just used to travelling away, having pre-match and then playing but we look forward to getting back at home, the record’s there but it’s up against a very good Leyton Orient team on Saturday.

“Touch wood, I don’t want to jinx it, but we have been good at home and hopefully we can keep it like that.”

Brown also expressed how vital it is for the side to start picking up back to back wins in the league, something they have achieved just once in the league this season.

However, Brown highlighted how important it is to keep perspective following the defeat, as the Morecambe loss was the first in their last seven league games for the Vale.

Before the game, Morecambe boss, Derek Adams, described how he felt the league is weaker than usual this year and Brown agreed with him, stating how he feels this year is a great opportunity for the side to battle their way out of League Two.

He said: “I think we’ve only won one back to back in the league this year which is really disappointing, and if we keep winning one, losing one, we’re not going to be where we want to be.

“But we have been on a really good run, we’ve kept the scoreboard ticking over and that’s what teams at the top of the league do.  

“I read their managers comments before the game saying he didn’t think League Two is as strong as what it was a couple of years ago and I had to agree with him, I think there’s a real opportunity for three or four teams to get out of it this year… and we believe we should be right up there.”