The Wonder Of P.V.F.C.: Nottingham Forest Vs Port Vale 22nd December 2007

PORT Vale couldn’t have worked any harder to leave behind their FA Cup misery, so are entitled to wonder just how much longer they will be made to pay. That December 11 replay at Chasetown cost Vale a third-round tie and presented an unwanted place in the FA Cup story of the season. But of far greater concern to their League One survival battle is the fact it appears to have nobbled their top scorer.
Luke Rodgers doesn’t need reminding he missed two penalties in the 1-0 defeat at the non-league side. In fact, he has been desperate to make amends in the two games since.
Yet, like Ronnie O’Sullivan suddenly rattling the black against the jaws, or Phil Taylor missing doubles, Rodgers finds his knack in front of goal has temporarily deserted him.
There’s no lack of effort, no lack of work-rate, but maybe Rodgers is trying too hard to make amends, instead of relying on the instincts which have served him so well since his £30,000 move from Crewe 11 months ago. His confidence certainly appears to have been knocked because chances you would have put your house on him converting are now being missed.
The striker is too good a player not to return to form but, in the meantime, Vale are struggling for alternatives after relying so heavily on him.
They suffered here, when he missed their two best chances, and a game they might have drawn was lost to a Nottingham Forest side who swept to the top of the table. “Goalscorers will have spells like that,” said Lee Sinnott after his side slipped a place to second from bottom. “If they scored all the chances they had, they would be on 130 goals a season. He is in one of those spells at the moment, but is getting the opportunities. “He is probably getting two or three a game and, once he gets off and running, he will be banging them in again. The time to worry is when you don’t get the opportunities.”
Rodgers has been at the sharp end long enough to know a centre-forward’s performance will be magnified more than anyones, apart from the keeper. He missed chances in last week’s goalless draw with Tranmere, and did the same on Saturday, but it would be ridiculous to solely blame a player who has probably been Vale’s best performer of the season.
It is not his fault that, when he doesn’t score, no-one else does.
The rest of Vale’s starting line-up on Saturday had mustered seven goals between them – Calum Willock (3), George Pilkington (2) and Dave McGoldrick (2) – so extra firepower is sure to be on Sinnott’s list for the January transfer window. For now, he must hope Rodgers can fire his way back into form because successive home games with Walsall and Luton give Vale the chance to make up ground at the bottom.Saturday’s 13th defeat of the season left Vale three places and three points adrift, but there was enough in this performance to suggest Sinnott can move Vale up the table.
They defended doggedly and have a back four and goalkeeper which look better than relegation material. Paul Harsley and Marc Laird impressed in midfield and the lack of cutting edge was not for want of industry from the front three. Vale haven’t scored in the five-and-a-quarter hours since Simon King’s own goal put them 2-1 up at Gillingham a fortnight ago.
But they have also been cursed by bad luck which saw McGoldrick strike the inside of the post against Tranmere and Laird do the same at Forest. Laird’s moment of misfortune came on 61 minutes when Harsley’s free-kick was headed clear to the edge of the box. The Scot met the ball with a screaming volley which left keeper Paul Smith stranded as it rattled the woodwork before flying across a crowded area and out to safety. Two inches to the left and the effort would have levelled the scores at 1-1 and rewarded a spell of pressure from Vale at the start of the second half.
Rodgers headed just wide from Harsley’s corner on 67 minutes, but their task became mountainous a minute later when Junior Agogo broke on the right of the area and pulled the ball back for the unmarked Lewis McGugan to fire past Joe Anyon from 10 yards.
Vale could still have made a game of it had Rodgers scored when Laird slid him though on goal on 73 minutes. Instead, the top scorer slipped the ball past Smith, but just wide of the right-hand post. The miss was no more agonising than a seventh-minute chance which would have put Vale in front. Harsley picked out Willock on the right of the area and he squared to Rodgers at the back post – only for the striker to snatch wide as the goal beckoned.
Forest made the most of their reprieve to take control of the half – and take the lead on 22 minutes.
Nathan Tyson sped down the right, cut into the area, and crossed for Agogo to tap into an empty net at the back post. There was an element of misfortune about the goal because Jason Talbot was down injured, so the defence was pulled out of position when Tyson sped down the flank. However, Sinnott accepted that Talbot had been felled accidentally and was also dismissive about claims Rodgers should have had a penalty when he was challenged by Wes Morgan after 49 minutes. He said: “I will call it the way I see it and, if that was my defender tackling one of their forwards, I would be extremely disappointed for a penalty to be given.
“That’s just the way I approach things. I do not look through rose-tinted glasses.
“I didn’t think it was a penalty, I thought the player got plenty of the ball.”
Sinnott’s honesty lends credibility to his claim that Vale will climb the table. This was Vale’s third loss at Nottingham Forest in three years, but was hardly unexpected. Their next three fixtures, at home to Walsall and Luton and away to Cheltenham give them a far more realistic chance to clamber out of the drop zone. He said: “I thought we showed Nottingham Forest a little bit too much respect in the first half compared to last week’s performance against Tranmere. “But in the second half you have to say we took the game to them. If we keep doing these things they will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season. “I gave the players the option after the game that, if they are going to drop their heads, then to let me know and I will put someone else in. “But I won’t let them because I am looking through the season and what we need to take out of each game. “We are not going to win every game, but I am not saying we will be prioritising games. We go into every one to win.
“The things we are doing in games will help us turn losses into draws and draws into wins when things are going for us.”
Fans can also expect recruits in January to help the players Sinnott feels can turn the tide.
For all his frustration of the last fortnight, Rodgers remains one of the most important players on the books.

Final Score Nottingham Forest 2 - 0 Port Vale

Port Vale Line Up