Moore urges Vale to make mental leap after Cup win

Darren Moore has been frustrated by Port Vale's start to life in League One after winning promotion last season

Darren Moore says will use Port Vale's shock Carabao Cup win at Championship club Birmingham City as the template for an improvement in his side's poor league form.

The Valiants' manager has been frustrated at a slow start which has seen the side languishing third from bottom of League One without a victory so far this season.

But after ending Birmingham's 10-match unbeaten run, that stretched back to April, with a 1-0 victory at St Andrew's on Tuesday night, Moore believes his players now know the standards they can reach - if they get their minds right.

"I'm tired of managers coming in and telling me we should have won the game or deserved more from the game and all it has come down to is concentration. Tonight you saw the team fully engaged," Moore told BBC Radio Stoke.

"They (Birmingham) are a force to be reckoned with. The boys had to play like that and give a 10 out of 10 performance.

"If there's anything I'm going to say to them it's 'what you have done at Birmingham, you need to take into the league because all it is down to is concentration'.

"That is all that has been lacking in the league."

Port Vale travel to fellow strugglers Reading on Saturday.

Before then they will discover who their third round opponents will be with the chances of a plum tie against top Premier League opposition increased by a draw formula which prevents clubs participating in the Champions League or Europa League meeting each other at this stage of the competition.

"It would be lovely if we could get one of the big boys at Vale Park in front of the fans," said Moore.

"I would say the football club deserves it really but when the draw comes round we'll see who we get."