Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke was pleased with his side's first win in six games following a 1-0 victory at home to Scunthorpe United, but insists that they still need to get better.
A 73rd minute close range strike by Nathan Smith proved to be enough to see Vale pick up a fully deserved victory after a dominant display against the Irons, seeing them move only three points adrift of the play-offs, with at least one game in hand on the teams above them.
Clarke on improving
After the game when speaking on the performance Clarke said: "It is about winning. The lads commited to the win. I said to them at half time just keep going.
“There is always going to be frustrations, everybody turns up and think it is going to be an easy three points. I have never managed a game in professional football which is an easy three points.
"The lads dug in today, it wasn't a great performance, we know that. We need to get better, I know that as well but I am pleased with the effort, the commitment and the clean sheet.”
Clarke on the new signings
The Valiants have made seven new additions to the squad so far this month and the former Bristol Rovers manager said that it is about the players finding connections with each other at the moment.
"It is hard at the minute. It is about connections but it is not going to happen overnight. Some of the players only met 48 hours ago, but they keep working.
"They are a real good group to work with and when you are managing a football club that expect to be higher up the pyramid, you have got to control the elements of that and make sure that we stick together as a group.
"The fans stuck by us, they didn't get too itchy. It was one of those games where everybody expects you to turn up and win three, four nil. It doesn't work like that.
"We kept going, we didn't give a sloppy goal away which was paramount and we got the win from a good set piece."