Darren Moore's four-fold gamble has given Port Vale new hope: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Port Vale's first win of 2024 saw boss Darren Moore make some crucial tactical decisions, which could stand the club in good stead as they seek to stave off the threat of relegation.

Saturday's 1-0 victory at fellow strugglers Burton Albion lifted Vale up the league and gives them a fighting chance of survival in League One.

Moore told the BBC: "There's always been that desire and attitude, despite what's gone on, and we've given ourselves a fighting chance. But we have to continue to fight on."

Fans will hope that the decisions made by Moore, both in terms of formation and the players he picked, as well as key changes during the game, will continue to reap rewards in the final eight games of the season.

Centre-back Nathan Smith has endured a poor season so far this campaign, and has been at fault for a number of goals in recent weeks.

However, in a back three, and with big defenders around him, Smith is able to play a far more confident game, and had a towering performance on Saturday. Partnered by Jesse Debrah and Alex Iacovitti, 5ft 11 inches, Smith was superb in the air and dealt with the majority of Burton's crosses easily.

Smith has often been partnered with Dan Jones, and sometimes in a flat back four, where he can be exposed by quick nippy strikers. Vale's 3-5-2 formation also meant that he had an extra man to pass to when on the ball, with his passing in question when Vale had previously played a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation.

James Plant versatility an asset

Vale were also helped by the return of James Plant, with the 19-year-old showing his positional flexibility once again. Initially lining up as the right wing-back, the home-grown youngster excelled at getting up and down the pitch.

And when Connor Grant, playing left wing-back, was taken off, it was Plant who was switched across to the left, proving equally effective. He was unlucky not to get an assist to his name with a teasing cross that couldn't find a Port Vale player, and his overall performance was very encouraging.

Although Plant has found early success as a winger, he has demonstrated ability in the wing-back role and is a great option to have alongside Grant and Tom Sang.

Port Vale midfield unit benefits

Moore's decision to go with the 3-5-2 formation helped his midfield to get balls into the front pairing. With Plant and Grant on the wings, Funso Ojo was able to sit in front of the defence, while Ben Garrity and Ethan Chislett operated as box-to-box midfielders.

It was possibly the most fluid midfield display from Vale this season, with Garrity and Chislett's work-rate wearing Burton down. They were visibly tiring late in the game before Ryan Loft's 83rd minute winner, which was assisted by Chislett's lung-busting run from his own area before hitting the post, with the ball falling kindly for Loft to smash in from close range.

If Moore can keep the trio of Ojo, Garrity and Chislett fit, he will have a midfield who are capable of defending their box, while offering a threat at the other end of the park.

A two-man axis the way forwards for Port Vale

Both James Wilson and Ryan Loft have come in for their fair share of abuse from disgruntled Vale fans this season.

While Wilson - four goals in 26 appearances - has had his usual injury issues, and still struggles to play 90 minutes, Loft has been in and out of the team and didn't have a Vale league goal to his name before Saturday's strike.

However, both have often been asked to play up front on their own, as previous manager Andy Crosby favoured two attacking midfielders in behind a lone striker, while Moore appears to have still been finding his best formation.

With neither man the quickest, and both suffering confidence issues, the decision to play them both together was a gamble, but one that undoubtedly paid off.

Wilson's natural tendency to drop into midfield worked well in tandem with Loft's aerial presence, and they constantly swapped positions during the game. Indeed, Loft could have given Vale the lead in the first half when the pair created a mix-up in the Burton defence which saw him race through unopposed before firing wide.

With Uche Ikpeazu set to return from injury very soon, Vale now appear to have striking options that work well in a two-man axis.

That's one of four tweaks in a 3-5-2 system that have breathed new lift into Port Vale when they needed it most.