Port Vale boss Darren Moore hailed his side’s consistency after moving joint-top of League Two with a 3-2 win at Walsall.
The Saddlers supplanted Vale at the summit in December after winning in Burslem and stayed there for four months – until Moore’s men gained revenge at the Bescot Stadium.
Vale dropped as low as sixth after five wins in 19 games between November and mid-March.
But they reclaimed top spot – albeit only for a couple of hours until Bradford beat Crewe – with a fifth win in six games.
“People ask if there’s been a specific moment and I just put it down to consistency,” said Moore.
“We’ve just kept chipping away, kept that belief. No finger pointing, anything like that, just having that trust in the players.
“A win like this increases confidence, togetherness, determination, resilience, character, all those things but we have to continue doing what we’re doing.
“To be in this position at this stage is what we have worked for. The hurdles the team has to overcome – emotionally, mentally and physically – change from week to week.
“We spoke at half-time about not playing to the occasion, playing the game, that we needed to show a bit more composure which we did in the second half to take the sting out of the game.”
In a madcap start, Walsall’s Jamille Matt had a header disallowed after 12 seconds before Lorent Tolaj’s fourth-minute overhead kick put Vale ahead.
Walsall quickly turned the game on its head through Taylor Allen’s penalty, after a Jayden Stockley handball, and Levi Amantchi’s close-range finish – all inside the first 11 minutes.
However, Ben Garrity levelled and Tolaj won it from the spot after being fouled by Oisin McEntee.
Walsall were 12 points clear at the top in January but have now been overhauled by Bradford and Vale and face a battle to cling on to an automatic promotion spot.
“It looked like the energy had sapped out of the lads in the second half,” admitted Walsall boss Mat Sadler.
“We have to learn from this, we have to face it head on and be ready for the next bit.
“The most important thing for us is that we don’t go looking at it [the table] – there’s no point looking broadly, you have to look right in front of your face at what’s coming next.
“We have to make sure we repeat and remind who we are and what we do and how we affect teams and that’s the message.
“I want the players to be disappointed but we go back to work again. Everyone will be doubting us and that’s the case, no problem at all.
“We’ll let everyone else doubt us and it’s up to us to prove those doubters wrong.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
