Whilst admitting that Friday night’s game wasn’t much of a spectacle in terms of free-flowing football, Neil Aspin was happy with the way in which Tom Pope and Anton Forrester combined during the second half.
The manager introduced Forrester as a half-time substitute and the striker struck home Vale’s equaliser to earn his side a point late on at Rodney Parade.
“The first half was a non-event and it was a very poor game in terms of quality,” Aspin said.
“But during the second half, their partnership was one of the pluses, especially late in the game where we had the majority of attacks.
“They teamed up well, particularly with the goal and you’re hoping that it can have that impact when you put a substitute on.”
Aspin also praised his team’s willingness to scrap and battle for every ball, something which he believes has to be done if you want to pick up results in Sky Bet League Two.
He said: “It would be nice if you could always play attractive football, but realistically when you’re down the bottom of the table it’s all about trying to dig out results.
“Some games are not going to be pretty. You’ve got to try and stay in it, defend properly and if you get any chances you’ve got to try and take them.
“There will be plenty of games that won’t be too pretty on the eye, but you’ve got to get the result.”
Versatility is also a trait Aspin wants his players to have and the manager is open to utilising a variety of systems and team shapes in order to pick up points.
“I think it would be wrong to say you’re just going to play one way because I don’t think you can do that,” he said.
“You’re always trying to get your best players on the pitch in a formation that suits them. There will be occasions where you look at the opposition and create a game plan, but we’ve got to concentrate on our own team and what we want to do.
“On Friday night it probably looked like we were going to try and get a point, but we’re always trying to win the game.
“We have to go away from home and try and win matches. At the end of the game, if you earn a point it’s not bad, but we certainly go in a positive mood and try to win the game."