Valiants manager Micky Adams spoke to his club's official website after his side's last gasp 1-0 victory over Carlisle at Brunton Park, Adams saying the three points will breed confidence in the Vale camp:
“Wins cheer everybody up, it breeds confidence, gives players a little bit of belief and sends supporters home happy. That is what the game is all about and any win at this level is a welcome win, but I thought we deserved that today. We wanted to be nice and tight, we set off with the same lads that performed and did well against Bury in midweek.
“We looked solid, made some chances first-half really, Tom Pope got in a couple of times and also Ben Williamson looked particularly sharp. Then when the game developed in the second-half we wanted to go and win it, so I put three more attacking players on the pitch and went for the win, we tried our best to win the game.
“I was particularly pleased with the three lads that came on, I thought they all had an impact on the game, Kaid Mohamed looked sharp which is more why I brought him to the football club. So, pleased with the impact they made, but pleased with a clean sheet as well. We have done a lot of talking this week and a lot of work, particularly with the back four. The one thing that we set out today to do was to keep a clean sheet, and we have done that.
“I think that we will have stiffer tests than today I am sure, Carlisle have struggled particularly at home in terms of getting wins and victories, and it was an important game for both teams. We wanted an away clean sheet and I thought the four lads at the back did all the right things at all the right times."
“I thought we were lucky once late on in the second-half when Troy Archibald-Henville blazed over the bar, but it wasn’t as though it had been created out of open play, it was from a set-piece. In general I was pleased with our efforts in terms of having that will and determination to try to keep a clean sheet, and if you keep a clean sheet, with the attacking players we have got we have always got a chance of winning the game, as we have shown at the end.
“I think it has been well documented that Tom Pope had a wrist injury that was affecting his play and we could all see that in him. But, today he was outstanding, he gave the two centre-halves a real torrid time, as did Ben and then Gavin Tomlin came on and had an impact in the second-half as well.
“So, Tom is getting his rewards but the pleasing thing is that we have created another chance for him, he stuck it away and he is back to his old self, that is all we ever wanted for him. You don’t become a bad player, I have got faith that if we get enough decent balls into him that he will score goals, and he has shown that again today.
“Managing in this league is not something that phases me, I have managed in the Premier League, I don’t like reminding people but I have, so Carlisle away is not going to phase me too much with the greatest of respect to them. We are facing different teams and I thank the supporters as well today, they really got behind the team.
“Thanks to them for all the effort getting up here because it is not a nice journey, although the scenery is quite beautiful. But, we have sent them home happy and that is always important. It is irrelevant them chanting my name, it is not about me, it is about the club enjoying a decent season in League One and retaining our League One status, that has always been the aim.”