Port Vale manager Darren Moore praised the “mentality change” from the club’s supporters as his side held on to beat AFC Wimbledon 3-2 and extend their lead at the top of the League Two table.
Brandon Cover and Rico Richards put the Valiants 2-0 ahead early on and the three points were sealed by Jayden Stockley’s goal just after the hour mark, in between efforts from the Dons’ Josh Neufville and Myles Hippolyte.
The visitors pushed hard for an equaliser late on, with Hippolyte hitting the crossbar after James Ball’s shot was saved superbly by Connor Ripley, but Vale did enough to make it five consecutive league wins and 11 matches unbeaten in all competitions.
Victory moved them on to 30 points – four clear of nearest challengers Walsall – and Moore was thankful for the fans’ backing in helping the team see the game out.
“We’re delighted to get the three points,” he said.
“We knew that it was going to be a tough game, a game that we felt we made a little bit more nervy towards the end than it needed to be, but again, credit to the players, credit to the supporters.
“A special recognition for the supporters because in the last five minutes, where last season we would have felt a little bit of nervousness and tension around the place, they were in rapturous voice, clapping the boys and
cheering them on.
“So there was a real mentality change and I want to thank the supporters for that because their vocal support has driven the team over the line to give us three more valuable points.”
Earlier this week the club unveiled a statue of former Vale manager John Rudge to mark his 80th birthday.
Rudge, who was in charge of the club from 1983 to 1999, was welcomed on to the pitch to huge applause before kick-off.
“We played the history of that in terms of what Rudgey’s brought to this football club before the game,” Moore added.
“So I can probably understand the apprehension from the boys a little bit because they wanted to get the job done.”
Despite winning all five of their home league matches so far this season, Wimbledon have now lost four of their six on the road and have dropped to 12th place.
Boss Johnnie Jackson was left to rue his side’s slow start to the game.
“I suppose for the neutral it was a great game,” he said.
“We’ve done everything but score at the end there to get something out of a game against a top team.
“I think we deserved something in the end. We gave ourselves a lot to do obviously with the start that we made to the game, but the response and the reaction from the players to come back the way that they did (was excellent).
“They easily could have gone under and folded and you can get beaten four, five or six here if you fold.
“But we came back into it, showed unbelievable character and I’m not quite sure how we haven’t got one at the end there.
“We’re frustrated because we conceded three goals and, to start the game the way that we did, it makes it so hard.
“And the goals, from our point of view, were really poor and it’s not been like us.”
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