▁never ▁actually ▁crossed ▁the ▁line ▁– ▁the ▁ref eree ▁had ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁pitch ▁under ▁esc ort . ▁Following ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁key ▁players ▁in ▁December , ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁" V ale ites " ▁took ▁a ▁hit ▁as ▁from ▁ 4 ▁December ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁February ▁they ▁recorded ▁just ▁two ▁vict ories ▁– ▁both ▁against ▁West ▁B rom wich ▁Alb ion . ▁This ▁run ▁included ▁heavy ▁defe ats ▁at ▁Manchester ▁United ▁and ▁Burn ley . ▁In ▁February ▁the ▁club ' s ▁rev ival ▁was ▁helped ▁by ▁new ▁signing ▁Robert ▁Carter , ▁as ▁six ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁seven ▁home ▁games ▁were ▁wins . ▁Despite ▁this ▁they ▁still ▁suffered ▁on ▁their ▁travel s , ▁taking ▁an ▁ 8 – 1 ▁ham mer ing ▁at ▁An field . ▁ ▁The ▁club ▁finished ▁in ▁six teenth ▁place , ▁though ▁their ▁ 2 7 ▁points ▁saw ▁them ▁just ▁one ▁point ▁off ▁Black pool , ▁and ▁six ▁points ▁off ▁sevent h ▁place . ▁Bur ton ▁United ▁and ▁Don c aster ▁Ro vers ▁both ▁finished ▁well ▁below ▁V ale , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁both ▁V ale ▁and ▁Bur ton ▁were ▁re - elect ed . ▁ ▁Dick ▁All man ▁was ▁top ▁sc orer ▁with ▁a ▁pit iful ▁eight ▁goals , ▁though ▁scoring ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁team ▁effort ▁to ▁give ▁V ale ▁a ▁reasonable ▁total ▁of ▁ 4 7 ▁league ▁goals . ▁However , ▁in ▁def ensive ▁terms ▁the ▁season ▁was ▁awful , ▁their ▁ 7 2 ▁conced ed ▁would ▁always ▁guarantee ▁a