Darren Moore insists he is the man to lead the massive rebuild needed after Port Vale’s two-season stay in Skybet League One ended in a 2-0 defeat at Bolton.

Moore says he is sufficiently “energised” to try to transform the fortunes of a side that were early-season third tier pacesetters.

Vale had to win at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and hope results elsewhere went in their favour to keep them up.

But second-half goals from Aaron Collins and Cameron Jerome sent them down and kept alive Wanderers’ slim hopes of automatic promotion.

“The biggest thing is to galvanise and get together to start the rebuilding for next season,” said Moore, less than 12 months after taking Sheffield Wednesday into the Championship.

“But I am here for the rebuild. I am energised.

“It is fantastic club with wonderful owners and a wonderful fan base.

““We have lots of ideas going forward and I look forward to getting that plan into action. But it is a big rebuild, let’s not kid ourselves.

“Structurally, we have got to get it right first and then it will be implemented on the pitch.

“We have to get a team together to cope with the demands of that league (League Two) and be pushing on to get this club back to this league and beyond.”

Vale earned five of their 10 league wins by mid-September. Moore was appointed on a five-and-a-half-year deal five months later but failed to stop the rot.

“It’s a sad day,” he added. “You can hear a pin drop in the dressing room. The mood is down and sombre.”

Bolton must beat Peterborough on the final day of the season and hope second-placed Derby lose to Carlisle to avoid the play-offs for a second successive campaign.

“We must have laser focus for what lies ahead,” said manager Ian Evatt.

“We are a really good team and I have felt we have been in pretty good form for a couple of months.

“There is some hope. For us, it is being in a position to take advantage.

“We have to go to Peterborough and win, first and foremost. If we get a miracle elsewhere, then fantastic. If not then we continue our momentum into the play-offs.

“What is important is that we don’t look backwards. What’s done is done. There can be some frustrations but that is not going to help anyone moving froward.

“We could have scored more goals but we have seen that game a lot this season. Sometimes there is anxiety in the box when we should be more composed.

“But Aaron came up with a bit of magic and I’m delighted for Cameron to get a couple of goals this week because his performances deserve that.”

Aaron Collins and substitute Cameron Jerome kept Bolton’s hopes of automatic promotion alive with second-half goals in a 2-0 win that sealed Port Vale’s relegation from Skybet League One.

Ian Evatt’s side missed a succession of chances and hit the woodwork three times before Collins broke the deadlock after 72 minutes.

A rising right foot shot brought Collins’ sixth goal in five games and his eighth since joining the Trotters in January. Veteran Jerome added a second in stoppage time.

Bolton must beat play-off rivals Peterborough on the final day of the season and hope Derby slip up against relegated Carlisle, with a favourable goal swing, to stand a chance of going up.

In contrast, Vale will return to the fourth tier, two years after gaining promotion.

Darren Moore’s side won only 10 of their 45 games, achieving five of those victories in the first six weeks of the season.

For manager Moore, Vale’s demotion comes just over a year since he guided Sheffield Wednesday into the Championship with a play-off final success against Barnsley.

Ian Evatt believes Bolton need a “miracle” to gain automatic promotion after being held to a 2-2 Sky Bet League One draw by lowly Shrewsbury.

Wanderers twice came from behind to earn a point thanks to Paris Maghoma’s 71st-minute equaliser.

However, the Trotters are three points behind second-placed Derby with both sides having two games left but with the Rams boasting a superior goal difference.

“It is not over,” sighed Evatt. “But it is five football matches in our eyes now.

“If a miracle happens then so be it. But it is five matches to win and this team is more than capable of that.

“If we can do it at Wembley (in the play-offs), people will enjoy themselves. The time to analyse what has happened and gone wrong isn’t now.

“For now we just focus on winning five more games. It is possible (to gain automatic promotion) but we have to be realistic.

“Derby have a fantastic chance of sealing the deal on Saturday.

“Our general performance was good but we conceded sloppy goals at one end and didn’t take our chances at the other.

“There is frustration and disappointment for a number of reasons. It is a game we should have won.

“But we have said that too many times where we have lost key personnel which makes a difference.”

Shrewsbury are still not safe from relegation but shrugged off their worries to cause Wanderers problems, particularly in the first half.

Dan Udoh fired Town in front after 21 minutes, only for veteran striker Cameron Jerome’s first goal for Bolton to level four minutes from half-time.

Jordan Shipley restored Town’s lead with a stunning low left-footed drive two minutes later.

Ex-Shrewsbury loanee Nat Ogbeta missed a great chance to equalise early in the second half before Maghoma eventually saved face for the home side.

“Although we were ahead twice, it would be a bit greedy to not be pleased with the point,” said Town manager Paul Hurst.

“I am delighted with the players’ commitment to what we asked them to do.

“We knew we would have long spells without the ball. Bolton are an excellent team in possession and cause you lots of problems.

“The way we set up is one thing but the players have to carry that out.

“At the same time, certainly first half, we also carried a threat and caused them problems and caused anxiety within the stadium which is again what we spoke about.

“A point is a great result but we want to try and go to Charlton and see if we can take care of our business then it is over.

“If we don’t get something, we still don’t know our fate.”

Paris Maghoma rescued a point but a 2-2 Sky Bet League One draw with Shrewsbury dented Bolton’s hopes of automatic promotion.

The third tier’s lowest scorers twice shocked their hosts by taking the lead.

But facing a first home defeat to their visitors for 34 years, Bolton salvaged a draw when Maghoma fired home his ninth goal of the campaign after 71 minutes.

However, Ian Evatt’s side still trail second-placed Derby by three points, with both teams having two further games to play.

Shrewsbury survived an early scare when Mal Benning deflected a Cameron Jerome effort against his own post.

Shrews goalkeeper Marko Marosi – in excellent form throughout – twice denied Aaron Collins before Tom Bloxham’s surging run and excellent delivery set up Daniel Udoh’s 21st-minute opener.

Veteran Jerome equalised after 41 minutes with his first Bolton league goal and first since scoring for Luton in October 2022.

But Jordan Shipley’s stunning left-footed effort from Elliott Bennett’s corner, two minutes later, restored Town’s lead.

In the second half, Bolton battered away in vain until Maghoma’s goal salvaged a draw.

Bolton manager Ian Evatt praised Aaron Collins after the 2-0 win at Bristol Rovers.

Following a hat-trick against Reading on Easter Monday, Collins opened the scoring against Rovers, the club he left on February 1, with a 52nd-minute dinked finish.

Cameron Jerome won a penalty in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to allow Aaron Morley to wrap up the victory and put Wanderers just a point off the League One automatic promotion spots.

“We lacked fluidity but we didn’t lack courage, desire and bravery – and it was a moment of real quality from Aaron which was exactly why we brought him in. A cool, calm finish,” explained Evatt.

“To be composed to lift it over the goalkeeper at that stage of the game with so much on the line for us was real quality and I’m pleased for him, with Cameron Jerome coming on in the final minutes to get us over the line.

“The most important thing was for us to win the game and we did that. We managed to be resolute. We dug in and did the hard yards at times. It was really difficult conditions out there, the wind really affected the game,” added Evatt, as Bolton won for the first time in seven away games.

Bristol Rovers were shut out for a sixth game in a row, having not scored since March 2.

However the Gas did play well and created enough chances to have taken something from the game, with Chris Martin’s stooping header clawed from off the goal-line, and Luke Thomas and Antony Evans both drawing good first-half saves from Nathan Baxter.

Rovers manager Matt Taylor pointed to his side’s inexperience, with no wins in Rovers’ last six games.

“It was harsh but yet another lesson learned in terms of the moment of the goals, it is just too poor from us in understanding what is needed at that moment,” he said.

“It’s young players involved and we know they make mistakes but we’re learning the hard way at the moment.

“I’ve got to be careful. That’s what happens when the inexperience factor is there.

“Too many times we’re defensively sound as a team and then suddenly we’re behind and chasing a game.”

Aaron Collins returned to haunt his former club Bristol Rovers as promotion hopefuls Bolton won 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.

The 26-year-old striker scored in the 52nd minute as his right-footed chipped finish sailed over the onrushing Jed Ward and into the Pirates’ goal following a George Thomason pass.

Rovers had enjoyed their best spell of an even contest just before their nominated player of last season netted on a windy afternoon in Bristol.

Connor Taylor was adjudged to have fouled Cameron Jerome with a minute of stoppage time left to play, and substitute Aaron Morley sealed the win by converting the resulting spot-kick.

The Gas went close to scoring when Nathan Baxter clawed Chris Martin’s diving header from off his goal-line a minute after the restart.

Baxter also saved low at his near post to deny both Luke Thomas and Antony Evans in the first half, as Rovers made it six games without a goal, and the visitors won a first away game in seven matches.