Port Vale Boss Darren Moore Delivers Carlisle United And Mark Hughes Verdict

Moore stressed that second-bottom Carlisle are a side in form ahead of the League Two leaders’ visit to Brunton Park.

Vale are hoping to close in on an immediate return to the third tier but Moore says Hughes’ work with the Blues deserves respect – and warrants no complacency from his table-toppers on Good Friday.

“The beautiful thing about me and my consistent message over the season is we don’t see where the position of the team is – we just see the work that they’ve done and the work we need to do if we are to go up there and get any type of result,” said Moore.

“They’re a football club that’s turned a corner. Mark is a really experienced manager that’s worked at higher levels.

“Credit to him for taking on the role and giving them the belief and fighting spirit in terms of where they are.

“With four games remaining they’re in with a wonderful fighting chance, and we’re coming into a game against a team that’s in form just like ourselves.

Moore’s side, including in-form striker Lorent Tolaj, pictured, are three points clear at the top of League Two ahead of Friday’s trip to Carlisle (Image: Richard Parkes)

“It presents a really exciting game. He’s doing some great work there, we know the work that they’re doing, and we’ll continue to play, prepare like we’ve done all season.

“We don’t see the position, we just see another professional outfit and we’ll need to be at our level best.”

Port Vale are three points clear at the top of the table with four games to go, and with a four-point gap to the play-off places.

It has become an increasingly tight race for promotion and Moore, whose side have won five of their last six games, is determined his side will do the right things to get over the line.

“We know the work we’ve done to get to this position, and the work that’s ahead to maintain this position,” he said in a pre-match press conference.

“While it’s a good position and we’ve given people a lot of hope and anticipation, we know we’ve got a lot of work to do in order to maintain and sustain it.”