Page hails Vale character

A Tom Pope goal in the first half and a scrambled, late Michael Brown winner staved off any relegation worries for good.

Having taken over from Micky Adams last year, the former Sheffield United player said his players needed to go back to basics in the search for results.

Page said: "Of course, we are relieved. We are scratching our heads as much as the supporters as to why we have found ourselves in this position, after having been within touching distance of the play-offs.

"Were we punching above our weight? I think we were, but with those results you build expectation and then you have to manage that expectation.

"Every team and every manager goes through a bad spell, ours just came at the worst possible time with the run of six defeats, but I'm really, really proud of the performance.

"We have needed hard work and character and since I have come in we have gone back to basis, and we decided we wanted to be hard to beat. I sat down and had a meeting with the players, let them speak which was good, and they were all saying the same thing, let's get back to being hard to beat.

"Because we got to the dizzying heights of sixth or seventh, perhaps we were guilty of taking our foot off the pedal."

Vale took the lead through Tom Pope in the 13th minute after having a header ruled out for a shove three minutes earlier.

Relegated Yeovil are the league's least potent in front of goal, and their fans had to wait until the 80th minute for their first shot on target when Gozie Ugwu snuck his quick-fire shot in at the near post to grab an unlikely equaliser.

Their hopes of securing a point only lasted three minutes as Michael O'Connor's free-kick was scrambled in by Brown.

After his first taste of defeat in the Glovers' dug-out, recently-appointed Paul Sturrock said: "It was disappointing for us and injuries to key players (Sam Foley and Byron Webster) were a feature of the game for us.

"As a result, I had to send on players to cover the injuries and I wasn't able to send on offensive players to try to change the game in our favour.

"I think we saw the problem Yeovil have had all season and that's in front of goal, creating chances and putting the ball in the net.

"We had no width and we haven't really got any real wingers in the football club and I didn't think we put enough balls into the box.

"Then, even after we equalised I thought we gave away too many fouls and paid the price when they scored the winner from a free-kick."