Vale youngsters came out with a win in their latest pre-season friendly, with a late goal with just ten mintues to go from Kyle Johnson.
The first half began with the best chance of the half as Tom Daulby was played through in on goal one on one, but as he tried to round Jenkins the ‘keeper got down to smother the ball and eventually take it away.
Vale continued to push forward and Harry Benns played a cross to the far post where Jenkins again reacted quickly to collect the ball, before Jack Wakefield could arrive and find Benns who laid the ball off for Daulby to shoot but he couldn’t fire past the ‘keeper.
Wakefield was looking lively and found Daulby whose shot was closed down. Vale felt they should have had a penalty with 5 minutes of the half remaining as Charlie Walford won the ball and fed Jack Grimshaw, who set up Wakefield to cross; this cross seemed to be perfect for Ryder to head home, but as the ball arrived a massive push in the back sent him sprawling with the referee claiming the defender had been pushed into Ryder by another Vale player.
The half came to close with Brocton almost taking the lead as Josh Mansell shot at goal, but Mawgan Blight reacted well to push the ball away, only to see it hit by another attacker and ricochet off the bar and then away to safety.
Vale made a number of changes for the second period and one of these, Lucas Green-Birch, who saw a chipped shot to the top corner of the goal safely held in the first minute after the restart.
As the game progressed Vale responded with a clever bit of playing allowing Benns to set up Green-Birch for a shot from 15 yards but he screwed the ball over the bar. Vale’s sub goalie, Deaumu Crockwell, then beat away a shot from the edge of the area and was then out quickly to collect a dangerous cross.
The next few minutes saw Benns hit a venomous shot towards the near post where it hit the ‘keeper’s chest and flew to Berks whose shot was charged down and the rebound shot from the edge of the area was also blocked before reaching goal.
Three minutes later and almost a repeat sequence led to Vale’s goal as Benns unleashed another powerful shot towards the near post that was again beaten away but this time fell to an unmarked Johnson who rifled the ball home from 10 yards.
Brocton pushed for an equaliser in the final minutes with Crockwell having to make two good saves and the referee waving away claims for a penalty at the Vale end this time. Harry Benns was announced as Vale’s Man of the Match and Adam Wood got the accolade for the home team.
Brocton: AdamJenkins, Tom Clare, Jamie Evans, Kenny Devoir, Adam Wood, Anthony Juxon (Adam Robinson 50), Declan Green (Josh Stack 50), Charlie Sneddon (Mark Cooper 65), Joe Hartshorne (Paul McMahon 50), David Berks (Leon Taylor 70), Josh Mansell.
Port Vale: Mawgan Blight (Deaumu Crockwell 45), Jake Thomas (Max Beeston 65), Charlie Walford (Jack Grimshaw 56), Mathew Ward, Josh Ryder (Zac Hill 75), Finnley Jackson, Jack Wakefield (Lucas Green-Birch 45), Jack Grimshaw (Joseph Berks 45), Tom Daulby (Kyle Johnson 45), Harry Benns, Joshua Ede.