I thought we were the better side, controlling possession for long periods and playing some really good football, but did not test the keeper enough due to the problem at centre forward that has been highlighted numerous times. I lost count of the number of times we got in behind their defence in the wide areas, particularly through the excellent Cogley, but had nothing to hit in the eighteen yard box. The chances were evenly split between the two sides, but Vale made Murphy work slightly more than their keeper had to: we missed opportunities through a blocked shot by Morris in the first half, a sliced attempt by Feeney early in the second, a slide from Foley which narrowly missed the ball, and a diving header from NKP in the closing stages.
I did think Glatzel and Mani would look more effective in a front two, but today they looked less effective than in a 433. Glatzel was tidy outside the box, but neither forward had any presence in the eighteen yard box at all, and there was no sign of any link up between them. I had been fairly impressed with Mani previously, but he was really poor today. He is ok if he receives a good ball in to feet, but he seems incapable of battling for fifty-fifty balls with the centre half, which you have to do in League Two, and he is nowhere to be seen when the ball is delivered into the box. I don't think he is the answer, and we really have to bring in at least a bog standard League Two number nine.
However, there were plenty of positives elsewhere, with the defensive display and the control of possession in midfield very impressive. The three centre halves, Cogley and Spearing all had good games, and Foley looks a better player than I expected. Man of the match, Josh Cogley.