This isn’t good enough – Jon Brady reflects on another Port Vale defeat
Vale were booed off ahead of their international break.
Under-fire boss Jon Brady admits Port Vale have not been good enough after a 2-0 loss at Walsall sparked a backlash from fans.
The battling-but-blunt Valiants were booed off amid calls for Brady to go after James Connolly and Andrew Dallas struck late in each half for the unbeaten Saddlers.
It leaves Vale, relegated from League One last season, with one win from seven outings ahead of a three-week break from league action where work on incisiveness will be the priority.
“You’re always under pressure,” said Brady.
“We want the results to be better, we want to be higher and I put more pressure on myself to be better. This isn’t good enough.
“We have some bodies back – Max Watters, Jasper Moon – so we will get them up to speed. We have to keep working on sharpness and edge up front to get goals.
“Goals relieve pressure and at the moment, when we’re not relieving that pressure and we concede 30 seconds before half-time, unfortunately we seem to go under.
“We felt in control of the first half, most of the territory was in their half. We conceded 30 seconds before the break from a corner and the second half was a totally different story.
“We changed shape to go after them because we were chasing the game again and they picked us off. Unfortunately, as much as we tried we couldn’t get back in it and they controlled the second half.”
It was a scrappy affair throughout with Walsall full-back Mason Hancock driving narrowly over after seven minutes but Vale settled, with Ben Waine’s drive pushed away by Jed Ward while Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel slammed over a loose ball in the box eight minutes before half-time.
Captain Connolly broke the deadlock with a deft flick inside the near post from Courtney Clarke’s inswinging corner five minutes into first-half stoppage time and Walsall stepped it up after the break.
Dallas sealed it in the 89th minute and in style, chalking up his first Saddlers goal with a crisp swirling strike across goal from the right edge of the box that nestled in the top far corner.
Walsall boss Lee Grant said: “To score from a set play was really pleasing.
“It was nice. It affects the balance of what they’re having to say at half-time and also gives our group some energy going into the second half.
“We really put the foot to the floor. We had more than 70 per cent of the ball, 11 shots and scored a tremendous goal.
“Maybe if I’m being greedy we should have created more from some of our moments but in terms of general control and keeping their threats nullified, it was an incredibly well-rounded second-half performance.”