Blackpool win has to be catalyst - Vale's Stockley

Port Vale forward Jayden Stockley says their thumping win over Blackpool has to be the catalyst for any chance of survival in League One this season.

Vale, under the interim control of first-team coach Jamie Smith following the sacking of Darren Moore on 28 December, hammered the Tangerines 5-1 to seal their first league win for three months.

Although trailing 1-0 at half-time, Vale played against 10 men for the second period after James Husband's red card in first-half stoppage time.

And they capitalised emphatically with Stockley equalising on 54 minutes with his first goal of the season in only his fourth start of the campaign.

From there Vale poured forward with George Byers, Jaheim Headley, Devante Cole and Ronan Curtis all scoring to deliver a much-needed win.

Vale are still five points adrift at the bottom of the table, and nine away from the safety line, but Stockley told BBC Radio Stoke they always believed they were capable of producing a result like that.

"It's been there. Unfortunately for us we haven't been able to ignite it and score the first goal and get that impetus in the game," he said.

"The sending off was huge and to capitalise on those moments and shifts in momentum is something we've got to be good at.

"We sniffed a moment at half-time and said 'it's got to be now" and our professionalism was fantastic.

"Hopefully you'll see in the next few games what it's done for us."

With Smith to remain in charge for Sunday's home game against Barnsley, Stockley says the squad must "stick together" and not "come off their levels" against the Tykes.

"It's a case of seeing what's next - we don't know - but we've got a job to do and we've got to use this as a catalyst now," he said.

"I'm hoping a massive win for the club on New Year's Day will spark something.

"The belief is there from everyone. We have to use this as momentum moving forward. It has to be now otherwise it will be too late."