Accrington Stanley 2 Port Vale 0
ACCRINGTON STANLEY Andrew Dawber, Tom Eckersley, Luke Clark, Charlie Barnett, James Gray, Adam Dawson, Aidan ChippendaleSUBS:: Ian Dunbavin, Dean Winnard, Michael Liddle, Aristote Nsiala, Peter Murphy, George Miller, Luke Joyce, Craig Lindfield, Will Hatfield, Pardraig Amond, Karl Sheppard
PORT VALE: Sam Johnson, Adam Yates, Darren Murphy, Joe Davis, Ben Williamson, Ryan Lloyd, Ryan BurgeSUBS:Chris Neal, John McCombe, Doug Loft, Louis Dodds, Jennison Myrie-Williams, Tom Pope, Clayton McDonald, Chris Shuker, Sam Morsy, Ashely Vincent, Richard Duffy.
Attendance:1,946 including 581 visitors
MickyAdamsunsurprisingly named an unchanged side for the visit to Accrington Stanley as Vale started their first away fixture of the new season.
minute.thVale had slightly the better of the opening exchanges and it took a great reaction save from Stanley ‘keeper Ian Dunbavin to keep out a shot on the turn from Louis Dodds in the 7
Vale were then forced to sit back and defend for a while as the home side had them more or less pinned inside their own half , without actually working Vale ’keeper Chris Neal.
Despite half chances for both sides and some high tempo football, neither side looked like they were going to threaten their respective goalkeepers too much.
A well-timed tackle from Chris Shuker prevented Karl Sheppard from getting a shot in at goal after Pardraig Amond slipped a neat ball through the Vale defence.
The home side were beginning to look dangerous and Chris Neal was forced to go full stretch as Luke Joyce tried his luck from distance, but the shot flew the wrong side of the upright.
Vale survived a succession of corners for the home side asAccringtonwent looking for the opening goal, before hitting back to earn a flag kick of their own.
Chris Shuker took the corner from the right and Clayton McDonald got up high to meet the ball but could only steer his header wide of the left hand post.
The home side’s pressure finally paid off when Chris Neal sent Sheppard sprawling inside the box and the referee had no option other than to point to the penalty spot.
stepped up to take the penalty, blasting the ball inside Neal’s left hand post with the Vale ‘keeper going the wrong way.PARDRAIG AMONDWith 43 minutes on the clock,
Vale began to up their game after the interval and went close to an equaliser when a close range effort from Sam Morsy was scrambled off the line.
The visitors were having plenty of possession and at times were camped inside theAccringtonhalf, but it was difficult to see where an equaliser was going to come from.
Ashley Vincent almost nipped in, hitting a firm volley which looked to be going in, but Dunbavin produced a fine save to keep him out.
From the resulting corner kick Dunbavin again came to the rescue, blocking a powerful drive from McDonald just inside the upright.
minute when Adam Yates came off the bench to replace Richard Duffy in a straight swap.thVale made a substitution in the 69
Three minutes later Vale made a double substitution. On came Ryan Burge for Chris Shuker and Ben Williamson came on for Ashley Vincent.
Vale were now well on top but were frustrated time and time again as shot after shot was either blocked or lifted high over the crossbar.
minute Myrie-Williams received the ball on the right flank and crossed towards the far post. Sam Morsy managed to get his head to the cross but headed agonisingly wide.thIn the 88
The fourth official indicated there was to be five minutes of added time and the onslaught continued.
Two minutes into stoppage time Williamson got in behind the home defence and looked odds on to equalise but he somehow knocked it the wrong side of the post.
The home side went straight up the other end and made sure of the three points when substitute James Gray picked up a pass from Luke Joyce and fired past Neal from the edge of the box.