Micky Adams is still in his first season as manager of Port Vale

Grieving Port Vale manager Micky Adams says his team's effort and attitude against Aldershot cheered him up after the death of his father last week.

Improving Vale moved to within four points of the play-offs thanks to Saturday's 1-1 home draw at Vale Park.

"I'm a football manager. I get paid to do a job," Adams told BBC Radio Stoke. "My Dad would understand that.

"But the players have cheered me up. They don't give up. The Port Vale fans can be proud of them."

Despite failing to beat Aldershot, Vale have now picked up seven points out of the last nine.

They now sit 10th, just four points adrift of the play-off pack with five games left, starting with Tuesday night's trip to Accrington Stanley. And Adams insists: "It's far from over.

"We've picked up a point on the group we are chasing. All is not lost and we keep on going.

"A win would have been a massive boost for us, but results have gone in our favour and that has given us a boost too.

"We'll keep going and the fans will get their money worth between now and the end of the season."

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