JPT - Vale v Blackpool
Attendance: 2,720 including 121 visitors
Johnstone’s Paint Trophy
At Vale Park
Tuesday 6th October 2015
Port Vale v Blackpool
Vale were knocked out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy by Blackpool, but the big talking point on the night was the sight of defender Remie Streete being taken off on a stretcher after going down injured inside the Vale box.
Blackpool went in front in the 44th minute when Jarrett Rivers was given time and space on the edge of the Vale box before firing home the opener.
Vale levelled the scores six minutes after the restart after Enoch Andoh was upended in the box and Anthony Grant made no mistake from the penalty spot.
But just three minutes later the visitors restored their advantage when defender Clark Robertson got up to nod home following a left wing corner.
Rob Page made two changes for the visit of Blackpool for Vale’s second round Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie, with Michael Brown and Louis Dodds coming in for Uche Ikpeazu and Sam Foley.
It was the first time the two sides had come face to face since Vale were beaten 2-1 at Bloomfield Road back in January 2007, and the first of two meetings at Vale Park within the space of two months.
The visitors came into the game on the back of two successive league wins, but boss Neil McDonald opted to make eight changes to the side that beat Swindon in his side’s previous fixture.
There was an early opportunity for the home side when Michael Brown played the ball into feet to Colin Daniel, who in turn played a short ball for Louis Dodds, but he could nly side-foot wide of the target.
Two minutes later Blackpool went close when Jarrett Rivers found Luke Higham, but his shot on the turn failed to test Jak Alnwick in the Vale goal.
Then at the other end Colin Daniel dragged his shot across the face of goal following a neat build-up involving Dodds and Byron Moore.
The visitors almost went in front when a right wing corner taken by Miguel-Cubero was met by the head of Kwame Thomas, but Anthony Grant was well positioned to clear off the line.
The game was halted for several minutes when Remie Streete went down with what looked a serious injury inside Vale’s 18 yard box.
The game was halted for several minutes while the defender received treatment and eventually he was stretchered off and Ryan McGivern came off the bench to take his place.
GOAL: The visitors went in front in the 44th minute when the ball was played in to JARRETT RIVERS on the edge of the Vale box and he had what seemed to be all the time in the world to pick his spot, slotting the ball inside Alnwick’s left hand post.
Despite there being twelve minutes of stoppage time added on, mainly due to Streete’s injury, neither side threatened to add to River’s strike.
Vale almost drew level within a minute of the restart when a powerful 25 yard drive by Enoch Andoh whistled just inches wide of Colin Doyle’
GOAL: Then in the 51st minute Andoh burst through the middle between two Blackpool defenders and was brought down by Luke Higham. The referee had no other option than to award a spot kick.
It was Vale midfielder ANTHONY GRANT who placed the ball carefully on the spot and he made no mistake with the penalty kick, sending Doyle the wrong way when he blasted the ball inside the ‘keeper’s left hand post.
GOAL: Vale held on to the lead for just three minutes when a free kick on the left taken by Cubero was met by the head of CLARK ROBERTSON, whose header looped over Alnwick and into the Vale net.
Vale made a change in both personnel and tactics in the 62nd minute when midfielder Michael Brown was taken off and replaced by striker Uche Ikpeazu.
Ikpeazu had little opportunity to make his mark on the game with Vale doing little to suggest a second equaliser was on the cards and when they did threaten, the visitors’ defence stood firm.
Vale made a second substitution in the 77th minute of the game, with Ajay Leitch-Smith coming off the bench to replace Colin Daniel.
PORT VALE: Jak Alnwick, Ben Purkiss, Carl Dickinson, Remie Streete, Richard Duffy, Colin Dniel, Byron Moore, Enoch Andoh, Anthony Grant, Michael Brown, Louis Dodds. SUBS: Sam Johnson, Ryan McGivern, Chris Birchall, Uche Ikpeazu, Ajay Leitch-Smith
BLACKPOOL: Colin Doyle, Clark Robertson, Jarrett Rivers, Connor Oliver, Tom Aldred, Kwame Thomas, Charles Dunne, Martin Paterson, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Jose Miguel Cubero, Luke Higham. SUBS: Myles Boney, Mark Cullen, Jack Redshaw, John Herron, Macauley Wilson.