16 January 2021

Danny Pugh applauds scorer Devante Rodney as Port Vale draw with Forest Green

16 January 2021

Interim Port Vale boss Danny Pugh lauded the impact of Devante Rodney after his stunning strike rescued a 1-1 draw at promotion-chasing Forest Green

Rodney cancelled out Nick Cadden’s deflected first-half free-kick with 13 minutes to go, making it two unbeaten league games for Pugh.

“Devante’s strike was out of this world and he’s a massive threat and he gave Forest Green something to worry about,” Pugh said.

“He can play all across the front three and it was good to see him get the goal. Kurtis Guthrie, who we signed from Bradford on Friday, has also come off the bench and been a threat.

“Forest Green are one of the top teams in the league, good footballing side, and it was a really pleasing point after going a goal behind.”

Pugh refused to be drawn on his own future, however, adding: “ I’m obviously delighted and it’s early days, but the lads have been absolutely fantastic and put in two good performances and I’m enjoying it at the moment.

“We didn’t want the win at Grimsby to be a one-off so we wanted to continue, and to lose four players in the week was a blow, but the players have been brilliant.”

Meanwhile, Forest Green boss Mark Cooper accused his side of bottling it after Vale equalised with 13 minutes to go.

Cooper said: “We should win the game, our players were mentally weak.

“Their biggest threat is Devante Rodney and we showed the players individual clips on him and they backed off and allowed him to score.

“We haven’t gone on and got the second goal. I put players on to go and get a second goal, but we need someone with courage and desire to get into the six-yard box to make the difference and win the game.”

The first shot in anger arrived on 15 minutes – former Bristol City midfielder Scott Wagstaff let fly with a stinging volley from the edge of the box to induce a gloved response from Vale’s Scott Brown.

Rovers had nosed ahead after 20 minutes, with Cadden’s free-kick going in via the slightest of deflections off Chris Stokes and a Vale defender before nestling in the bottom of Scott Brown’s net.

However, Rodney found his range for Vale after 77 minutes with an exquisite hit from 25 yards bouncing off the base off the post and beyond the sprawling Luke McGee for his seventh league goal of the season.

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