Alex boss gives us his reaction following 2-1 defeat to Vale

Steve Davis may have been disappointed with the defeat to Port Vale this afternoon, but he was pleased with his team's overall performance. The Alex boss has spent the last few days trying to unite his group and quickly bought in Fulham's third choice goalkeeper Neil Etheridge on loan yesterday to start his reshuffle. Others were left out of the squad and Lee Molyneux joined Rochdale on loan.

After the 2-1 defeat, Steve told crewealex.net: "I thought the players really gave it everything they had today. They were a real team out there and I couldn't fault their effort. They were a team and we haven't been that lately. I've made steps to make us more united and bring back some of that lost spirit and the players know that we are in a scrap and if they don't want to roll their sleeves up, work hard and fight for the cause then I don't want them at this Football Club. The attitude has to be spot on and we have to take this attitude shown today forward.

"There is no point just raising our performance for derby day. It shouldn't take that to get us going. We should be like that every week. If they show that effort and desire to compete and do well then I won't complain. That is the positive we have spoken about after the game.

"We were on top in the first half and took a deserved lead I thought because we had the better of the first 35 minutes. They then came back into it in the last minutes of the first half and put us under pressure with set-plays, corners and long throw-ins. That is where their goal came from. It has taken a double deflection so that just sums up the luck we are getting at the moment.

"We had chances to be ahead at half-time and actually had a few moments at the beginning of the second half. It we had manged to have nicked another one then it could have been different, but they finished strongly and the winger has got in at the far post to get on the end of the cross.

"I was pleased with the performance, especially in that first half, but obviously disappointed to have lost the derby, but I'm sure our supporters saw us give everything we had."

Although he has never blamed the incident in Cornwall for our poor start to the season, or ever used it as an excused, the manager stated that he was relieved by the news yesterday that no players would be charged over the alleged incident.

"The news gave the club a massive lift because it has been a huge cloud over us. I have never used that as an excuse for our start to the season, but it is sure to affect the players and the group.

"You could sense their relief and the lift it gave them. Now we have to move forward."