Charlie Adam praises ‘magnificent’ Fleetwood after beating Port Vale

Charlie Adam praised his players’ “magnificent” performance in his first win as Fleetwood manager following a 3-0 victory over Port Vale.

The result lifted Fleetwood off the foot of the Sky Bet League One table and they were comfortable winners with goals from Jayden Stockley, Ronan Coughlan and Ryan Broom.

After his maiden victory, and Fleetwood’s first in 15 games, ex-Stoke midfielder Adam was full of admiration for the performance that got them the points.

“We’re obviously delighted,” he said. “I think it’s been a month since I came into the building and the performances have been coming, slowly but surely.

“I thought we had the first win last week (drawing 2-2 with Wycombe after leading 2-0) but the lads showed tremendous character to bounce back this week.

“We freshened it up today with Promise Omochere being suspended and we managed to get that win, I thought the lads were excellent. It’s a great lift for the football club and the whole town.

“For the players in there it’s been a while. We’re delighted but we look to another tough game against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night now.

“We always say that if we get the performance right the results will come. In the last game and a half, I mean the first half against Wycombe last week, I thought we were excellent.

“The clean sheet was massive, it’s big for defenders and for the goalkeeping department because we’ve conceded too many goals.

“The whole team performance was big, from Stocks (Stockley) right the way back to Jay Lynch in goal, they were magnificent.”

While Adam enjoyed his team’s success, Valiants boss Andy Crosby issued an apology to the travelling fans who saw a well below-par showing from their team.

Vale sit precariously above the drop-zone and Crosby was in no mood to offer any excuses for his team.

“I need to apologise to the 1,100 people who came to watch us, to the Port Vale fans who were here or listening at home,” he said.

“Our performance lacked anything you should need to win a game of football. There was no pride in our performance, individually or collectively.

“We got outfought, we got out-battled and we got outplayed and when all those things happen you don’t give yourself a chance to win a game of football.

“What I have said to the players in private will remain that way. But when you don’t do the basics required you end up on the end of a scoreline like that.

“Yes, the pitch is difficult and maybe we didn’t move the ball quickly enough. But before you even get to that stage you have to win duels, win headers and tackles, you have to out-run your opponent when you are making a recovery run.

“You have to show desire to land on second balls and anticipate where the game is going to go. You have to use your body.

“You have to do a hell of a lot of things before you come to the technical side of the game. And when you don’t, that is what happens.”