Notts County manager Stuart Maynard was left to rue his side’s inability to make the most of their first-half dominance as they suffered a 1-0 defeat away at fellow promotion hopefuls Port Vale.
The visitors looked in complete control of the match in the opening 45 minutes, but they failed to convert any of their chances and were ultimately made to pay by Ronan Curtis’ winning goal late on.
The loss brings an end to second-placed County’s six-match unbeaten run and sees them stay seven points behind League Two leaders Walsall.
And Maynard was bitterly disappointed by his team’s profligacy in front of goal when they were well on top.
“I think performance levels were very good,” he said.
“The game went how we thought it would go tactically with overloads in the wide areas.
“We’ve had three massive moments – we need to take one of them.
“I think in the first half when you’re that dominant, played a lot of the game in their half and created the two big opportunities that we did, we need to take at least one of them and go in at half-time 1-0 up.
“We knew in the second half they would have a spell and they had a few spells in the second half, they couldn’t not.
“They kept playing off the front – setting, spinning and then getting it down the sides and putting balls into our box.
“So it is frustrating, but the lads have given absolutely everything.”
Victory for Vale extends their unbeaten league run to seven matches and despite remaining in sixth spot, they’re just one point behind County four places above them.
Boss Darren Moore was delighted with how his side recovered from a lacklustre first-half display to secure all three points.
The decisive moment of the match came in the 85th minute as substitute Curtis chested down Lorent Tolaj’s looping cross and volleyed home.
“I thought we started a little bit slow,” Moore said.
“The problem was that we knew that Notts County like to build from the back, but we didn’t engage them high enough up the pitch.
“We were sitting a couple of bodies too deep, which allowed them to build and dictate the game. We weren’t releasing ourselves.
“I think the best thing about half-time was that it was half-time, that was number one, and number two it was 0-0.”
He added: “When you play against Notts County, as much as they want the ball, they do allow you to have the ball and do allow you to get passes.
“I think it was after about 28 minutes when we managed to string a couple of passes together, which we were able to identify and show them at half-time.
“In the second half, we get the all-important chance and Ronan Curtis comes on and takes it really well, and it’s meant us getting three points.”
