Grant McCann hopes Peterborough have turned a corner after Port Vale victory

Posted Sunday, September 25, 2022 by PA

Peterborough boss Grant McCann hopes a welcome 3-0 win over Port Vale will lift them out of a slump.

Posh snapped a run of four successive Sky Bet League One defeats by seeing off Vale courtesy of high-scoring captain Jonson Clarke-Harris’ first-half double and a milestone moment from Joe Ward.

Clarke-Harris bagged a 26th-minute opener and then added his seventh of the season 10 minutes later, with Kwame Poku the architect on both occasions.

Clarke-Harris was denied a hat-trick by Vale keeper Jack Stevens and a post before Ward marked his 200th Posh appearance with the clincher when putting away a pass from substitute Jack Marriott in the 73rd minute.

McCann said: “Three goals, a clean sheet… we can’t ask for much more except from a couple more goals maybe!

“It was a controlled performance from start to finish and it’s a good win against a team who were in good form themselves.

“Kwame set the first one on a plate for Jonno and was brilliant to create the second one from the right.

“The third was an excellent team goal with some great passing and a good finish from Joe.

“He is a top pro and 200 games for one club these days is almost unheard of.

“To see him cap it with a goal and a win for us made it a great day all round.

“Hopefully we’ve turned a corner from some disappointing results where I felt we’ve been a bit unlucky.

“It is only three points, but we’ve got a bit of making up to do in the league and hopefully this will give us a little springboard.”

Vale boss Darrell Clarke admitted: “It was a tough afternoon for us.

“We started the game really well, got on the front foot and got in their faces, but we gave away a soft goal and that’s not what you want to do against a team with the calibre of players that Peterborough have.

“They’ve just come down from the Championship, they’ve got a million-pound striker and half-a-million-pound centre midfielders and will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

“We gave them that uplift after their poor run of form which is a bit false anyway having watched the games, but we kept going and were always competitive despite not being anywhere near our best.

“It wasn’t for any lack of effort or endeavour – just simply a case of Peterborough being better than us on the day.

“We’ve been on a good little run of late which has now come to an end, so it is all about how we build again.”