Foyle still has injury crisis

The Port Vale manager, Martin Foyle, has an injury crisis which will mean he has to put out an unfamiliar side tomorrow evening at Edgar Street for the LDV game against Hereford United.

With the fans on his back after Saturday, Foyle will choose from a squad mainly containing loan players and youngsters.

The Port Vale board have allowed Foyle to bring in seven loan players since August, five of whom played last Saturday.

"At the moment we are not building good foundations, we are filling holes with players coming in from other clubs. I don't know a lot about them - but you can't get loan players and we have sold Sam Collins and Billy Paynter," Folye told the Sentinel.

"It is hard because you have your hardcore of players who are the ones signed on, but people don't realise you get a different attachment with loan players.

"They know they are going back in a month or whenever and it doesn't hurt them because they are not Port Vale players. It is something we have to have a big look at and get sorted out very quickly."

One loan player is Chris Cornes. It appears he and Foyle have not seen eye to eye since he came on loan from Wolves.

The 18-year-old Wolves player is still eligible to appear in tomorrow night's game at Hereford though the paper says it would surprise no one if his departure to a standing ovation after 70 minutes of Saturday's dreadful game was the last fans will see of him in a Vale shirt.

Cornes's 10 appearances and three goals have given a tantalising glimpse of dazzling potential - and plenty of supporters left Foyle in no doubt of their feelings with chants of 'You don't know what you're doing' when the youngster was hauled off on Saturday.

The manager was the one feeling the heat from the stands as he suffered the most severe criticism he has endured in his two-and-a-half years in charge.

This was probably the worst home performance in that time, although Foyle has faced an unenviable task in recent weeks as he has attempted to piece together a team from a squad ravaged by injury and the departures of Billy Paynter and Sam Collins.

Vale certainly looked like a team of strangers as they were outplayed by a Swindon side still bottom of the table, but who look capable of climbing out of the drop zone.

All the above suggests that Hereford United have a good chance of overcomimg the Valients tomorrow evening, assuming the Bulls put out a reasonably strong side and the weather allows the game to go ahead.

Finally one aspect of the LDV which hasn't attracted much attention is the difference in prize money between Conference and League clubs.

For example if Port Vale lose the game they will receive £4,000, but if Hereford United lose they will only receive £3,000.

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