STUART McCall admitted to feeling an overwhelming sense of relief after City got back to winning ways at Port Vale.

Alex Jones returned to his former loan club to come off the bench with the winner after Vale had cancelled out Romain Vincelot's opener.

McCall said: "I kept thinking 'surely it can't be another of those days'.

"We couldn’t keep creating so many opportunities and not putting the ball in the net.

"We worked on the set-plays because for once we had the height advantage.

"It was then a mental thing after going ahead again. We didn't need to chase it but we didn't want to sit in either.

"I think we got what we deserved in the end but it's an overwhelming sense of relief."

Jones proved his fitness in training on Thursday after missing the last five games with a hip injury.

McCall added: "We weren't trying a smokescreen or anything like that. But he rattled a couple in the 'top bag' on Friday and I thought there was no harm in having him on for 20 minutes."

Vale fans claimed Jones used a hand to score from Alex Gilliead's cross.

Jones said: "I'll have to watch it again but if it did it my hand I didn't know about it"