Reserves Go Down With Banton Showing Promise
Port Vale 2 (2) v Bradford City 3 (2)
Wednesday 20 January 2016
RESERVES GO DOWN WITH BANTON SHOWING PROMISE
PORT VALE:Chris Neal,James Gibbons, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Brad Ede, Ryan Inniss, Remie Streete,Sam Kelly (Jonny Kapend 61),(Omar Haughton 46), Achille Campion, Jason Banton.Chekaine Steele, JJ Hooper
SUBS NOT USED:Calum Ferrie, Mackenzie Faulkner, Mike Calveley.
BRADFORD CITY:Joe Cracknell, Kesi Omolokun, Alan Sheehan (Tom Widle), Kwame Boateng, James King, Alex Laird, Niah Payne, Danny Devine, Reece Webb-Foster, Sumaili Cissi, Ellis Hudson.
SUBS NOT USED:Chandler Hallwood.
Vale had trialist Jason Banton on show, but no other potential recruits for the January shopping window, in what was a strong line-up. Banton showed some nice play, as did Kelly in a defeat that saw Vale a little unlucky to lose by a single goal after hitting the bar on 3 occasions.
Vale had the Vale initial attack of the game but it was the young visitors who then pressed and were rewarded with a goal after only 3 minutes; a cross from the right was over-hit but Hudson collected the ball before it went out and, after beating Gibbons, delivered a cross to Cissa in the penalty area. His initial attempt was blocked but he hit the rebound back past a wrong-footed Neil into the net. It was almost 0-2 within a minute as Payne’s centre found Webb-Foster whose glanced header drifted just the wrong side of the far post with Neal stranded at near post.
on the edge of the penalty area and he deftly switched feet to wrong foot the defender before slotting home. Vale were now on the offensive and Hooper played the ball to the wide edge of the box where Banton measured his shot that beat the ‘keeper but bounced off the top of the bar and out of play. Hooper was soon showing demonstrating his worth by tracking back and winning the ball to protect Vale’s defence. Deen- Conteh won a corner and from Kelly’s delivery Streete rose to send a header goalwards that also went out via the top of the crossbar.CampionWith only 6 minutes on the clock Vale were level as a pass found
drilled a shot right into the corner of the net from 20 yards to bring Vale level again. Kelly minute thNeal was in action again soon after when he turned a shot from Webb-Foster around the post and then Inniss fouled one time too many for the referee’s liking and went into the book; from the resulting free-kick by Sheehan, Neil made another good save to concede a corner. From this it was Sheehan who rose to head home to put the Bantams back in the lead after 35 minutes, although he was not looking where the ball was going when he headed it goalwards. Kelly was having an impressive game and he soon saw a shot deflected wide for a corner and in the 38
Vale were back in arrears within 40 seconds of the re-start as Devine forced the ball past Neal from close range as Vale’s defence seemed to have forgotten the game had restarted. It was Kelly again who brought a good save from Cracknell before being substituted. Deen-Conteh was having a good game going forward but lost the ball out wide in defence and luckily Webb-Foster hit the side netting from the chance that arose from this. Deen-Conteh then burst through the visitors defence but his cross was blocked at the last second and the ‘keeper collected the spinning ball to avert any further danger.
Banton was having a good game with some nice runs and crosses and one long range cross-field pass put in Haughton whose curling, dipping shot hit the bar and came back into play; a resulting shot on goal was parried and Campion tucked away the loose ball only to see the flag raised for offside. Another searching cross by Banton was headed over as Vale pressed for the equaliser and late on Kapend saw a good effort saved as Bradford hung on.
Lindon Roberts – Port Vale Volunteers Group