Boss’s Notes

THE MANAGER SIMON WEAVER

I WOULD LIKE start by wishing everybody a Happy Easter and by welcoming Darrell Clarke and the staff and players of Port Vale to the EnviroVent Stadium this afternoon. With only eight games remaining it is imperative now that we finish the season as well as we possibly can. Individual performances will help decide the squad places for our FA Trophy final next month and beyond into next season. We are looking for the group to continually perform in training and games with a drive to succeed. We’ve learnt so much this season and whilst most games have been decided by such fine lines there are recurring themes that crop up and we have to get better at both sides of the game. We aren’t massively short in any area but then we aren’t in the top three either and we are hungry to improve. We were disappointed to lose Simon Power last week to a hamstring injury that will now keep him out until pre-season. It’s a real shame for Simon as he’s been excellent for us since arriving at the club. We will look after him however and ensure he returns stronger than ever. Today we face an experienced Port Vale team and Darrell Clarke, their manager, has made an instant impact since joining them from Walsall. This game will be another tough encounter. Every game is hard fought at this level. Not many games have been technically well above what we saw in the National League but fewer mistakes are made by teams and even more percentage football is played. As a result of this war of attrition, you have to be focussed throughout and be prepared to grind out results. It’s a really interesting time as there’s still a lot at stake in the final month of the season. We will work hard today to gain a positive result and make every Town supporter’s Easter that much better. Enjoy the game! Simon