by Steve Shaw

MARC Richards is refusing to panic over his eight-game goal drought after firing another blank in Port Vale's 1-0 FA Cup home defeat by Huddersfield.

While Vale's 27-year-old top scorer, pictured right, raced to nine goals in his first 18 appearances, he has failed to find the net since the 1-1 home draw against Cheltenham on October 24.

Richards admits he should have added to his tally at the weekend when he wasted an excellent 10th-minute chance to hand Vale the lead moments before Nathan Clarke hit Huddersfield's winner.

Defeat against The Terriers followed last Tuesday's 2-2 home draw against league rivals Torquay.

Richards said: "I'm not worried, although obviously it's at the back of my mind that I haven't scored for eight games.

"But I'm getting chances, including one on Saturday, and I had a couple in the previous game against Torquay.

"As long as I keep getting in the right positions, I'm sure I'll find my goal-scoring boots again.

"I felt really good on Saturday, but obviously I snatched at my shot and that's one of those things.

"I've got nine goals and I probably would have taken that up until Christmas. To get that amount eight games ago was a boost, so if I can pick up a couple more before Christmas I'll be happy."

Richards failed to hit the target from around the penalty spot in Saturday's clash as he battled with Nathan Clark and his central defensive partner Peter Clarke, a former Vale loanee.

Despite his positive start to the campaign, Richards was forced to endure jeers from a small section of fans in Vale's home stalemate with Bournemouth on October 3.

Since then his critics have stayed largely quiet, although his performances have been the subject of much debate on Vale fans' websites.

Reflecting on his display against Huddersfield, Richards added: "In the first half I thought I did well, apart from not scoring. In the second half we went more direct and it was a battle against their two big centre-halves.

"With the chance I had, I should have scored and I know that."

The former Blackburn striker has selflessly spearheaded Vale's attack on countless occasions over the past two seasons, while the club sank to depths of the football's basement division.

Last season he finished as the club's top scorer with 11 goals despite suffering an injury-hit second half to the campaign.

After Saturday's match, Vale boss Micky Adams bemoaned this side's poor delivery into the box, which cut off the supply line to Richards.

While Vale have only conceded 19 goals in 18 League Two clashes this season, their miserly 3-4-3 system has only yielded 20 league goals.

"As a team we're are not creating enough chances, but we're more resolute at the back compared to last year," said Richards.

"But because we play a 3-4-3, with wing-backs who tuck in when they've got the ball, we're not creating enough. We only created one chance on Saturday.

"But I don't think it's a real problem because we get into good areas.

"We got forward well in the second half on Saturday and we were getting crosses in.

"We just need that bit of extra flair in the last third." and someone to whip a ball in and get someone to attack it.

"It's something we will be working on in training, like we have done, and it's not something we dismiss."