Darren Moore admitted he did not see Port Vale’s late collapse coming as substitute Jayden Stockley struck twice to earn Fleetwood a 2-2 draw.

First-half goals from Jensen Weir and Ethan Chislett put the Valiants in control and Moore within striking distance of a first victory since replacing Andy Crosby.

Instead, fellow strugglers Fleetwood were transformed in the second half.

But it was not until the 88th minute and second minute of stoppage time when super-sub Stockley grabbed his goals.

“It’s a difficult one to take,” admitted Moore, who is now without a win in four games since taking charge. “We feel it is definitely two points dropped from the position we were in.

“But it stops the rot of those consecutive defeats.

“We, as Port Vale, have to get over the adversity that went against us. We took a backward step and weren’t able to see out the last seven or eight minutes.

“The challenge we face is stopping the rot in getting this team performing and getting the feeling of adulation back.

“The players are giving everything to the cause. They are unfortunate that any little mistake is getting punished.

“At the moment it feels like Port Vale have to have almost the perfect game to get over the line.

“The concentration levels have got to be spot on. We didn’t see that result coming in the latter parts.

“We just had to do our jobs, but it comes down to lapses of concentration and we get punished.”

Both sides remain in the bottom four but Fleetwood boss Charlie Adam left Vale Park the happier man.

“When I walked in the building two months ago I said to the players ‘I need you to represent what this town is all about: hard work, dedication and be proud to wear the jersey’.

“They gave me that in abundance in the second half. There only looked one team who was going to win the game.

“We dominated the second half and we had enough crosses and shots to win two or three games.

“I felt the subs would make a big impact, and they did.

“But that’s why you have a squad and a togetherness and that’s why I’m proud to be Fleetwood manager.

“They gave me everything and it’s important we use that for our games during the rest of the season.”

Substitute Jayden Stockley scored two late goals as Fleetwood came from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw with fellow Sky Bet League One strugglers Port Vale.

Darren Moore looked on course to celebrate his first win as Vale manager as the Valiants looked comfortable with only two minutes remaining.

Instead, it is now four games without a win for Moore since he replaced Andy Crosby.

Stockley, who also scored in the Cod Army’s 3-0 success over Vale earlier this month, pulled a goal back in the 88th minute.

And two minutes into stoppage time he headed in Phoenix Patterson’s corner to earn the visitors the unlikeliest of points.

Moore has now presided over three defeats and a draw, but first-half goals from Jensen Weir and Ethan Chislett suggested it might be fourth time lucky.

Brighton loanee Weir opened his account with an 18th-minute strike from teenager Baylee Dipepa’s assist.

Fleetwood were second best as Chislett won a contentious 42nd-minute penalty which he converted for his ninth goal of the campaign.

The visitors bossed the second half, however, and super-sub Stockley came to their rescue.

New Port Vale manager Darren Moore was “bitterly disappointed” with the closing stages of the 2-0 League One defeat at Reading as late goals led to Moore’s second successive defeat since taking charge.

Vale offered little throughout a scrappy affair and Reading’s constant second-half pressure paid off through Lewis Wing, in the 76th minute, and Harvey Knibbs seven minutes later.

Vale, now eight games without a win, lie two points from safety but have games in hand over most of the teams above them.

Moore, who succeeded the sacked Andy Crosby last week, said: “I was bitterly disappointed with those last 16 or 17 minutes.

“It was a lapse in concentration that’s once again undone us this evening and we have to be better than that.

“It’s those small percentages that can decide a game and you have to be better at them, in order to drag the game by the scruff of the neck and get that positive result that we need.

“I’m disappointed because we didn’t deserve that tonight but, at the same time, we’ve only got ourselves to blame.

“There was a lot of positives, though. We had just one day to work on our shape, we had two classroom sessions, and the boys applied themselves absolutely spot on.

“Reading didn’t really cause us too much trouble in their rotations and play. We kind of saw a lot of those things off.

“In terms of us with the ball, I was pleased with the back to the middle to the attack.

“If there is one small criticism, it is probably getting those bodies in (to the penalty area) and finishing off what we had maintained throughout the game.

“We needed to commit those bodies forward to get that final contact on the ball. And it will come.”

Reading are now six points clear of the relegation zone.

“It was a good way to respond after Saturday (when they lost 4-1 at leaders Portsmouth),” said manager Ruben Selles.

“We spoke after the game and for me, that game did not reflect the way that we played and the way that we performed. Tonight reflects more the way that we play.

“It took us 15 to 20 minutes to adjust things because it was just Darren’s second game and he changed the formation that Vale usually play.

“We were prepared for a different scenario so early on it was more competitive than we first expected.

“But we adjusted after that and, after half-time, we fully adjusted in the second half. We then dominated the game.

“We stayed patient, we built up the game. When the game is open, we can be very dynamic.”

Idris El Mizouni piled on the pressure for managerless Port Vale, scoring the only goal in Leyton Orient’s 1-0 win at Vale Park.

Valiants goalkeeper Connor Ripley kept the visitors at bay with a string of saves until the 60th minute of this Sky Bet League One contest, when captain El Mizouni raced onto Tom James’ pass to net his first league goal in almost a year.

Orient’s win was their fifth in an eight-game unbeaten run and keeps them pushing for a play-off spot after last season’s promotion from tier four.

In contrast, Vale, who briefly topped the division in September, are now without a win in five matches and fall into the bottom four.

They axed manager Andy Crosby on Monday, putting academy director Will Ryder and staff Matt Done and Danny Lloyd in interim charge.

Busy Ripley produced a string of saves in the opening half before Jack Shorrock retaliated with a shot beaten away by Sol Brynn.

Ruel Sotiriou had a frustrating night in front of goal, denied by the crossbar and Ripley in quick succession.

But skipper El Mizouni produced a fine low finish to earn Richie Wellens’ team a deserved victory.

Port Vale boss Andy Crosby felt it was about time his side beat one of the bigger sides in League One after their 3-0 victory over Blackpool.

Ben Garrity’s opener was added to after half-time by James Wilson and Nathan Smith for a first win in three matches as Vale ended 2023 on a high.

And Crosby reserved particular praise for the likes of youngsters Ben Lomax and Jack Shorrock, who made their first League One starts as he effused about his side’s performance against the Seasiders.

He said: “It was a really good performance, both with and without the ball. There were four academy players in the 18, three on the pitch at once, like the two young boys who started the game making their full league debuts.

“I thought they were absolutely incredible, but I also think the senior players they had around them really looked after them within the game.

“We probably spent a little bit less time in the build-up phase today and we utilised the strengths of Uche (Ikpeazu) maybe a little bit earlier.

“It’s about time we beat a team here. It’s been a struggle for us since we’ve been in League One to beat one of the bigger clubs at home.

“We’ve been competitive this season against Bolton, Peterborough, Derby and lost by the odd goal, and we said before the game can we go and put a performance together both with and without the ball to be deserving of three points and I think we were.”

Neil Critchley felt Blackpool paid the price for not taking their opportunities before the Valiants went ahead as he lamented his side’s away form, but praised how the Seasiders kept going.

He said: “It’s a really tough night for us. For the first 35 minutes up until their goal, I thought we were in control of the game, had some good opportunities, don’t take them and with their first chance, they score.

“That’s the way it’s going for us away from home at this moment in time. We have a good chance to equalise after half-time, it goes straight at the goalkeeper, and then we get a deflected shot with their first chance after half-time that deflected straight over the goalkeeper and we’re 2-0 down and we’re chasing the game.

“We’re not getting that little bit of the rub of the green that sometimes you need in the penalty box and the big moments are going against us.

“But what I did see is, I saw a team that kept going right to the end. I thought their body language was very good and they were positive and that’s important because we need to stick together.”

Port Vale boss Andy Crosby heaped praise on hat-trick hero Ethan Chislett following his side’s 3-2 win at home to Wigan.

Chislett’s first two goals were cancelled out by the visitors but his third was enough to clinch victory and lift Vale above Wigan in the table to 15th.

Crosby said: “He’s a top player and credit goes to him because the finishes are great.

“He could’ve probably had a few more but it’s great for him, he hadn’t scored since August and now three in one game.

“We’ve tried to look at how we can improve his goalscoring ability. I showed him clips of all his goals over the past four years and he said it gave him a whole lot of confidence.”

The two first-half strikes looked to put the hosts out of sight, but a comeback from Wigan after the break squared things up.

Chislett’s incredible solo effort in the 82nd minute wrapped up the win.

“We do a lot of work on the opposition and how they press and how we can break through that press.

“You have to play through teams but then you also need to penetrate on the last line as well. It is important we get our wing-backs on the last line.

“When you find that rhythm and that connection receiving the ball in space then it can go on to affect the game.

“When the players came over after they got back into it, I just said ‘don’t look at the scoreboard or the time. just play the game’.

“We were still in control of the game at that point, even with our poor moments which we have to get better at.

“They’ve got really good attacking players and they should obviously have more points because of the deduction and the quality they have got.”

Latics boss Shaun Maloney was frustrated with his side’s first-half performance but gave his players credit for getting back into the game.

“Today we got hurt, and when our levels are slightly down in any game we can get hurt,” he said.

“We have to give Port Vale a lot of credit, they were very good.

“From my team’s point of view, we are not going to win games when we are like that, but the second half was everything and if we lose then that’s how we want to go out.

“The goal before half-time wasn’t the issue. If we had gone in at 1-0 it would have probably been unfair to Port Vale.

“They were miles ahead of us. I want to win every game, I think we have been on a really good run and this one hurts in particular.

“We needed the fans and they stayed with us. In the second half, we gave them everything and full credit to the players for that.

“I can accept getting beat with a performance like that in the second half.”

Goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond was the hero as Stevenage secured their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory at Port Vale.

After a 1-1 draw at Boro last time, another 120 minutes could not separate the two sides in the replay at Vale Park as they drew 3-3 after extra time.

Ben Garrity scored either side of half-time to put Andy Crosby’s hosts two goals ahead.

He opened the scoring after just six minutes as he tapped home from close range before he hammered in a second after Alfie Devine nodded a cross into his path 10 minutes after the restart.

Harvey White’s unstoppable near-post strike pulled one back before Kane Hemmings sent the game to extra time in the sixth minute of additional time.

Ryan Loft’s first goal for the club, in the 114th minute, again seemingly sent Vale through before Nathan Thompson sent the game to penalties.

It was then a painful penalty shoot-out for the hosts as scorers Garrity and Loft saw their spot-kicks saved by an inspired Ashby-Hammond, either side of Luther Wildin smashing his over.

Steve Evans’ side now have a trip to non-league Maidstone, who are playing in the third round for the first time since they reformed in 1992.

Port Vale boss Andy Crosby urged his squad to stick together after their 1-0 defeat to in-form Derby.

Arsenal loanee Tyreese John-Jules came off the bench and scored with his first touch as the Rams made it four wins on the spin.

For Vale it’s an 11th league game without a win, a run which stretches back to mid-September.

And Crosby said: “It was a game of fine margins. They take advantage of a blocked clearance and it falls perfectly for their wide player, he executes an inch-perfect cross and the forward scores a good finish.

“We walk away being defeated 1-0. I thought we had better spells with the ball.

“The game kicks you doesn’t it. You have to fight and stick together during this difficult period.

“The dressing room and the whole football club. We don’t let the cracks appear because when that happens it just continues.

“We have to look after each other, boost each other and give each other confidence and belief.

“When you have senior players like I have in there and the management staff I have, we know how the players are feeling.

“They crawl off the pitch at the end of the game when you’ve been beaten 1-0 by one of the bigger clubs in the league.

“We’ve pushed them, but unfortunately come off the wrong side of the result.”

Rams’ first-team coach Matt Hamshaw stepped in for Paul Warne’s media duties.

And he said: “It’s a great feeling. It’s a difficult place to come to so to win 1-0 and a clean sheet, we’re really pleased.

“JJ wrote his own script by scoring with his first touch. He’s been disappointed with injuries since coming in so a huge shout out to the medical team for getting him right.

“It was a huge squad effort. It was a really good night. A huge thanks to the fans who stuck with us all season.

“It’s tough for players when they get injured, but I don’t feel that sorry for him, he’s had a good career already being at Arsenal!

“It’s brutal as a player when you’re not playing. You just want to be part of the team. But you feel out of it, no matter what the gaffer does.

“I’m just really pleased for him. He’s a great lad, let’s hope he stays fit because he’s a huge asset for us.”

Boss Andy Crosby wants Port Vale to “demand more of each other” after his side lost 2-1 to Shrewsbury to remain without a league win in over two months.

The Valiants’ last victory in the league was in the middle of September, beating Northampton 1-0 at home, and it is now 10 games without a win.

After securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and the second round of the FA Cup, Crosby wants their cup form to translate into the league.

He said: “We are talking about another performance with control of the ball, domination of the ball, getting into really good areas of the pitch, number of shots, but we need to be more resilient as a group.

“We have to demand more of each other as a group because we did a lot of preparation coming into the game on how they could hurt us and it would probably be a direct ball or a counter attack or set play.

“We go in 1-0 down at half-time and we re-emphasised that point that their next goal from how they played first half would be from one of those reasons.

“We get punished three minutes into the second half, which is really disappointing.

“I thought the reaction was good; we continued to dominate the ball and we created opportunities from set plays and had a number of shots and shots blocked.

“We worked there keeper but at the end of the day we have lost another game and it has been a similar game to what we had previously in this run of games.”

Shrewsbury boss Matt Taylor was pleased with the response of his players.

He said: “Every result we have had this season, I would argue, has been hard-earned.

“It feels really sweet. I questioned the players very honestly and openly during the week and what they have done is what they have done recently at home a lot and found a way to win a game of football.

“If I look at the aspects of the game in terms of did we keep the ball well enough, no, but we defended our box apart from that one set play really well.

“Unbelievable result at home. I was over the moon for Max Mata to get his goal which was long overdue.

“Hopefully now what that does is give him the opportunity to kick on and get more goals and do what he was brought to the club for. I thought he was really good.

“Dan Udoh, an unbelievable individual goal. He has done that now this season two or three times, so he was really pleased to get the win.

“All credit to Port Vale, they will be disappointed they haven’t got anything from the game from the amount of chances they have had.”

Andy Crosby was delighted with his Port Vale side as they secured a second-round tie at Stevenage with a 2-0 victory over Burton in their FA Cup first-round replay.

Gavin Massey set Vale on their way, with a poacher’s finish continuing some good form from the winger.

Substitute Lewis Cass grabbed the second goal with eight minutes remaining, providing an impact from the bench that Crosby was looking for.

“I thought we were excellent tonight from start to finish,” Crosby said. “Both with and without the ball we controlled the game how we want to play and we also handled the physical power of Burton and the way they try and play.

“You have to compete and win second balls, get blocks in and I don’t think they had a shot on target tonight.

“I thought Gavin was excellent. He was really good at Wrexham last week with a really impactful 45 minutes and you look at the make-up of the squad tonight and we are only as good as our senior players and they were all excellent tonight.

“It was a great finish from Lewis. I knew the group would need the likes of Lewis and I told him we were going to need his quality from the bench.

“I was really pleased with the clean sheet too tonight and we achieved our aim of getting through to the second round.”

Burton boss Dino Maamria bemoaned his side’s luck in a tight game of fine margins, reflecting on his team’s disallowed goal at Vale Park that resulted in the replay.

He said: “It’s a marginal game. The first is marginal to being offside, I think.

“Cole Stockton missed being onside by an inch. We scored a legit goal in the first game but it was disallowed for offside.”

Maamria hailed Vale striker Uche Ikpeazu for the way he led the line and caused the Burton defence problems.

“I thought we started the game really well then they got on top a little bit,” Maamria added. “I thought the player that made the difference in the game was Ikpeazu.

“I thought we pressed really well from the front but once they got it up to him he was able to do what he wanted to do. He was unplayable tonight and the difference between the two teams.

“You need to score when you are on top and that first goal came at the wrong time for us. Overall, Port Vale deserved their win tonight. For us it was tough to take but I think the international break is coming at the right time for us to get our best player, Sam Hughes, back.”

Deflated boss Andy Crosby criticised Port Vale’s naivety after Olamide Shodipo’s last-gasp equaliser for Lincoln saw his side’s winless run stretch to nine Sky Bet League One games with a 1-1 draw.

The Valiants looked set to land an elusive win after Ben Garrity’s first-half effort, but substitute Shodipo slid in late on to steal a share of the spoils at Sincil Bank.

Both sides ended with 10 men after Oliver Arblaster and Paudie O’Connor both saw red in an eventful second half.

“It feels like a defeat,” said Crosby. “It was naive defending at a crucial moment trying to win a ball you can’t win.

“The one clear-cut chance they have in the game and they score.

“It’s very raw and it’s tough to take at this moment in time.

“We lose a player in the second half and that’s naivety again. You’re on a yellow card and you give the referee a decision to make.

“The referee then evens the game up and we go 10-v-10 and they were in the ascendency then.

“A little lapse of concentration and we conceded late on. It’s frustrating.

“For all our good play we still missed chances. We’ve got to become more ruthless.

“This game is unforgiving, just like life sometimes. When you’ve got a team on the rack like then then you’ve got to score and take the game away from them.

“We’re 16 games in and we’re a really nice team to look at and from box to box but we lack that clinical edge. They’re got to find it themselves and we’ve got to find it collectively.”

The Imps recovered from a slow start, which frustrated the home fans, to seal a late point.

Interim boss Tom Shaw said: “It wasn’t a good start, but good sides and good players come through that and we’ve shown that with how strongly we’ve finished in the end.

“I thought we were outstanding with the ball 10-v-10. I thought we were bold with every tactical change we made.

“We’ve had 70 per cent of the ball in the second half and nine opportunities. It felt like we had an extra man.

“We were really pleased with how the lads went about it. There are two ways to try and chase it; you can either lump it into the box or play with more control. We challenged them to do that and they did.

“If the fans were frustrated then that’s something we’re trying to improve and evolve. But we don’t have the profile of a number nine so we have to try and find other ways to get into the box.

“I hope the supporters can see how well we executed that in the second half.

“We finished the game strong and ran out of time to win it.”

Port Vale manager Andy Crosby was proud of his 10-man team after they earned an FA Cup first-round replay against fellow League One side Burton with a goalless draw.

Captain Nathan Smith was given a straight red card in the 18th minute after bringing down Mark Helm, but Burton failed to make their one-man advantage count.

Vale actually finished the game with nine men as Jason Lowe was withdrawn through injury and they’d already used their three substitution intervals.

The draw comes on the back of Crosby’s men booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, but they’re currently on an eight-match winless run in League One.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the group, the togetherness of the group,” Crosby said.

“We were the better team with 11 men, we were the better team with 10 men, we were the better team with nine men.

“We controlled possession, we controlled them out of possession, we controlled them with 10 men and we controlled the possession with 10 men.

“And I can’t tell you how together this group is, how much they care, how disappointed they’ve been with the run we’ve been on.

“But to go into that game and start the way we did and have the chances we did.

“And then to suffer the disappointment we did with the referee making the decision, to not feel sorry for ourselves, to keep going.

“They crawl off that pitch in a better place than when the game started.”

In a game not short on chances, Burton finally found the net in the dying moments through Josh Walker, but it was ruled out for offside against substitute Cole Stockton.

Albion boss Dino Maamria felt his team were blatantly denied a place in the second round, rather than missing a golden opportunity to go through.

“We scored a legitimate goal in the last minute of the game – it’s clearly onside,” he said.

“Watch it back. Diagonal ball from Jake Caprice, Ryan Sweeney’s in an onside position – he heads it down. Josh Walker’s in an onside position – he turned and volleyed it in brilliantly.

“But the offside got given on Cole Stockton at the near post with the ball nowhere near him.

“It’s a really, really frustrating decision to give, but in all honesty am I surprised by it?

“You see it when they got the sending off in the first half, every decision after that – the crowd, their bench – they’re on top of the referee, they’re on top of the linesman – he got abused throughout the game.

“I didn’t think they were strong enough to deal with that.

“And flagging that last decision there denied us going through.”

Port Vale manager Andy Crosby was a proud man as his League One side saw off in-form Mansfield Town to book a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Alfie Devine’s 50th-minute finish proved the difference, ending League Two Mansfield’s proud 19-game unbeaten start to the season.

Crosby said: “It feels incredible to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s 147-year history. It is an amazing achievement and well deserved.

“We were the better team. We came here as underdogs as our level of performances and results recently have been poor.

“We were poor on Saturday and there was a lot of frustration from all of us.

“But the only place you can respond is not with words but out on the pitch where it matters and every single player that represented us tonight was immense and the performance was really good.

“It is a reward for everyone connected with the football club from the owners, who has developed and grown the club on and off the pitch, to everyone who works at the club and a group of players and staff who have made history.

“We had to go right to the end. We’ve been here before where we’ve played well in the first half and not taken our opportunities.

“We had to put our foot on the gas and go again and it was an outstanding goal by Alfie Devine. It was well executed and a great finish.”

Vale dominated the first half and Christy Pym had to save well from Tom Sang at his near post, while Oliver Arblaster volleyed against a post on 22 minutes.

Mansfield’s best chance came after 31 minutes when David Keillor-Dunn volleyed at the keeper from six yards.

But just after the break Devine raced down the centre and beat Pym with a low drive from 25 yards.

Added to a final-day win last season, the Stags had gone 20 games unbeaten, equalling the club record.

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough said: “We wanted to break the club record tonight which hurts as much as anything, as well as getting into the last eight.

“But to be here on the 31st October and say that’s the first game we’ve lost all season in all competitions – I am incredibly proud.

“The most important thing now is to quickly put this behind us. We mustn’t dwell on it.

“It feels a bit raw as we have not experienced this feeling since the end of last season, losing a game.

“It is not particularly pleasant in such an important game – an opportunity to get through to the last eight.

“I didn’t think we did ourselves anywhere near justice in that first half.”

Andy Crosby believes Port Vale lacked a cutting edge in their 0-0 draw against Blackpool.

Gavin Massey came closest as The Valiants controlled the first half, but his powerful shot flew agonisingly wide of the goal.

In the second half, Blackpool took control, but Vale stopper Connor Ripley tipped away Shayne Lavery’s header to ensure the spoils were shared at Bloomfield Road.

The Port Vale manager insists his side had the chance to win the game in the opening 45 minutes.

He said: “We were maybe just lacking that last pass around the edge of their box to really take advantage.

“It was a contrasting game really, I thought first half we had control, especially in possession and we controlled their possession how we wanted to.

“We thought we could counterattack from the midfield if we could nick balls, and we had a few opportunities.

“We nullified them to very little in the first half, we used our numerical advantage in certain areas of the pitch which we spoke about going into the game.

“Second half we lacked a little bit of control, went too long too easy and landed on second balls.

“It’s a really good point against a team who were a league above us last season who have got really good players, but I’ve just said to the players there that I’m going to do this job and I’m going to look at every single way we can win games.

“I’m going to look at how we can approach it, I think I’ve got a really good group of players who are tactically and technically good and who take on information really well.”

The result means The Tangerines are still yet to concede in the league this season after following up a 2-0 home win against Burton Albion with back-to-back goalless draws.

However, Blackpool manager Neil Critchley was frustrated by the result.

He added: “Frustrating with a capital F I think.

“It’s not easy when teams come and put loads of men behind the ball and have a game plan to stop you and they did it very well.

“So, you have to be patient and persevere in what you train to do.

“It might not be how you want it to look in the first 20-25 minutes.

“They were full of energy, but if we keep being patient and persevere with how we want to play you can see what happened in the second half where we had complete control.

“We dominated the game, pushed them right back in their own half and then we just missed that final bit in and around the goal, that cross or that moment the striker gets across someone and finishes tonight.

“I’m not disappointed by the performance just frustrated by the result.”

Port Vale manager Andy Crosby believes his team learnt a lot from last weekend’s hammering against Barnsley after they bounced back to claim a 1-0 win over Reading.

Ben Garrity’s hugely-deflected shot settled the contest in the 72nd minute, earning Vale a morale-boosting victory after losing 7-0 on the opening day of the League One season.

It comes on the back of a 3-2 win over Fleetwood on Tuesday in the first round of the Carabao Cup, and Crosby was delighted by his team’s response to a tough defeat.

“We’re going to grow, we’re going to get better,” he said.

“It was a difficult 90 minutes last week and we gifted Barnsley opportunities. With a ruthless nature they scored them and they took advantage, but we learnt a lot, we spoke at length in a variety of ways and credit goes to the players.

“They’ve taken things on board, they’ve learnt from it and with two wins in the first week of the season, being through to the next round of the cup, it’s been a good week.

“It’s important that the players enjoy the wins.

“It’s good that they can appreciate the fans and stay behind and clap them. We have to do that whether we’ve won, drawn or we’ve got beat. We have to show our appreciation to the fans for their support, and I’m sure they’ll go home happier this Saturday.”

Andy Carroll had a golden chance to put Reading ahead with a 12th-minute penalty after Nesta Guinness-Walker was fouled in the box by Dan Jones, but goalkeeper Connor Ripley denied him.

The winning goal came 18 minutes from time as Garrity’s shot on the spin took a massive deflection before looping over debutant goalkeeper David Button’s head and in off the post.

The visitors nearly equalised in the dying moments when substitute Lewis Wing’s cross-shot hit the bar, but Vale held on for all three points.

Troubled Reading have now suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats in the league after being relegated from the Championship last season.

Boss Ruben Selles believes his team need to come to terms with playing in a lower division sooner rather than later.

“It is what it is,” he said of the result. “These games will happen and as soon as we accept, everyone of us, that we’re playing in this division and we’re playing against tough opponents (the better things will be).

“We have to be respectful of everybody.

“Of course, I know that the fans are travelling and they’re disappointed, and I am too.

“We want to put on a good performance, but it didn’t happen and this is the message that is clear for me.

“But I will respect every single club in League One and this is the situation we’re in.

“We’re going to need to fight to win football matches and do it together, that’s it.”