'Our first win will be the ugliest ever' - Moore

Darren Moore guided Port Vale to automatic promotion to League One in 2024-25

Port Vale boss Darren Moore believes his side are going to need a "near-flawless" display to earn their first League One win of the season.

The Valiants were pushing for a winner at home to Leyton Orient on Saturday only to concede a sucker-punch goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time in a 3-2 defeat.

All five league defeats for second-bottom Vale this season have been by a single goal, two of them coming in stoppage-time.

"We got back into the game and it looked like we were knocking on the door," Moore told BBC Radio Stoke.

"We hit the crossbar, there were a couple of flashes across the goalmouth, the keeper pulling off a save.

"Where we're at at the moment, everything that we're doing wrong is getting punished and it looks like a first Vale win of the season is going to be the ugliest win ever because of the situation that we're in."

He added: "We've got to put some of the wrongs that we're doing right because we've got to play almost a near-flawless game for Port Vale to get those points and that's what we're looking for."

Devante Cole (right) scored for the first time in almost 17 months

'He's given everybody a lift'

Despite a start which has yielded just two points from seven matches, there was a major plus point on Saturday in the debut of Devante Cole.

The forward joined from West Brom on transfer deadline day and provided the cross for Ryan Croasdale's seventh-minute opener before equalising early in the second half - his first goal since April 2024.

A struggle for goals has been a major factor in Vale's slow start, with Saturday's brace as many as the team had managed in their opening six games.

Moore hopes that Cole, who scored 34 league goals in three seasons with Barnsley, will help add a clinical edge.

"He's contributed to both of our goals, so it shows the areas that we're getting in and we've now got someone with a prolific record at this level and he showcased that today," Moore said.

"I thought he did well because he was meant to have 60 minutes today and he got just short of 70 minutes, so that's fantastic for him and he's given everybody a lift.

"He'll only get stronger, and if we can continue to get the ball in those areas, we've got a prolific marksman there that hopefully will be on the end of them."