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"We're only a good side when we pass it with a tempo and a purpose, but we didn't have either of them today. We were second best for a good hour. We started to ask them questions after we made the triple substitution but it was too late by then, it had a positive impact but it was just papering over the cracks. We weren't at the races for the first 65 minutes, especially on the ball and we're a lot better than that.
"Without Glyn Garner's penalty save it could have been five or six - we had that 6-1 four years ago when I was assistant manager and that was the way it was going this afternoon. We were getting cut open too easily and I've been talking about the need to put our best foot forward in this league and we didn't do that. To concede two goals per game on average is disappointing. We had the same problem last year and we rectified it quickly - we've got to do the same now.
"People might be starting to think why we've got two wins out of two at home, but suffered two losses away, if I'm totally honest the sole reason is because we've played better in those two home games. I know it's an easy thing to say, but we've put in two good performances at home and we only played for 40 minutes at Port Vale and 25 today. 25 minutes performances, even in League Two, aren't going to win you games."
On the late injury to his captain John Mackie, Ling commented : "It's too early to say how it will affect his availability for next week but it doesn't look very good at the moment. His studs got caught in the ground and John isn't one to stay down when he isn't hurt."