Port Vale boss Darren Moore rues ‘humbling day’ after loss at 10-man Wigan

Port Vale boss Darren Moore admitted his side’s 1-0 Sky Bet League One defeat at Wigan was a “humbling day” for his players who had allowed “complacency” to creep in.

In-form Vale travelled up the M6 looking to defend a five-game unbeaten run in the league.

They looked on course to improve that sequence when Wigan striker Dara Costelloe was sent off a minute before half-time after catching Kyle John full in the face with an attempted overhead kick.

However, Moore’s men failed to make the most of their numerical advantage, and ended up losing after Maleace Asamoah took advantage of a mistake by Ronan Curtis 11 minutes after the restart to slot the ball home.

“I think today was a humbling day for us, in terms of us as a team,” admitted Moore. “Certainly complacency crept in, without a doubt, with how the game went, especially with them going a man down.

“We have a lapse of concentration, which opens the door for them, and they capitalise on it.

“After that, I think the team got caught up in the emotion of the ground, the atmosphere and we were just doing things…the decision-making wasn’t there.

“I’ve said to the players that this is a humbling day for them, we have to take it, they were complacent with their approach to the game and it’s back to the drawing board now.

“They need to get back to their work, and get serious about it, and apply themselves first and foremost in the week before we contest another game next week.

“Football is about preparing, but also about performing on the day when you’re called to perform.

“We know we’ve not performed and it’s up to us over the next few days to find out why and to put it right.

“The fight was within ourselves today, not so much anything Wigan did because we’ve gifted them three points.”

Wigan boss Ryan Lowe was understandably delighted at a first victory in seven matches in all competitions.

He said: “I’m pleased because the result’s something we’ve been trying to get for the past few weeks after a little dip in the road.

“After having a man sent off, which was a crazy decision for me…Dara doesn’t even know he’s there. Yes, he’s caught him with a bicycle kick, but that happens every day in training, let alone games.

“Their kid’s OK, he’s not hurt himself, there’s no blood…the referee said it was malicious and dangerous, but it can’t be, because Dara didn’t even know he was there.

“So we were disappointed with that, but we mixed it up at half-time, and the lads who came on did their jobs to the ability we know they have.

“I’m just pleased for the boys because that’s on them, they deserve that, because they’ve been through a tough time.

“Fair play to them for sticking to the game plan and seeing it through, especially with 10 men.

“We put our bodies on the line at the end and they take full credit for that.”