On a very wet and windy afternoon, Port Vale Reserves suffered their first Central League defeat of the season as they lost 4-1 away to Rotherham.
Mick Ede opted to go with a mixture of youth and first team players who were looking to get some more minutes under their belt. Cristian Montano resumed his position at left back as he continued to work hard towards gaining full fitness, whilst Brendon Daniels started just in front of the Colombian.
With the spiteful wind and rain making playing conditions tough for both sides, the Vale started extremely positively and had the better of the opening stages. Joe Berks starting alongside David Worrall in the middle, made himself available on numerous occasions in the opening stages but couldn't get the sighting on goal he was looking for.
Vale's left hand side proved to be the thorn in the side for Rotherham in the first half. Montano and Daniels, both close friends off the pitch, showed their understanding of each other and both worked hard for one another. Montano, known for his surging runs forward from the back, was unlucky not to be rewarded for his efforts. The full back tip toed past several of the Rotherham players before unleashing a thunderous strike which sailed just wide of the post.
With the combination of Montano's exciting runs forward, and the likes of Joe Berks and David Worrall always on the look out for the ball over the top, it allowed Brendon Daniels the space out on the wing. Daniels' proved to be a real nuisance for Rotherham with his searching crosses into the box. Frustratingly for Mick Ede however, they were not taken advantage of.
Failing to do to so came back to haunt the Vale as home side took the lead. Rotherham sliced through the Vale defence and Jacob Gratton side footed home at the back post to give his side the lead against the run of play.
Just two minutes later Vale responded instantly. Brendon Daniels, well known for his ferocious strikes from a dead ball situation, curled a 25 yard free kick deliciously into the bottom corner to bring things level, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. It didn't last long though, and Vale gave another cheap goal away. A corner whipped in by Rotherham bounced through a number of players, before hitting Quigley on the chest and past Hornby to put the home side back in front right before the half.
As the second half began, Rotherham came close to a third goal as Jamie Proctor rose high to meet a cross from the right but thankfully his header was touched over by Hornby. The resulting corner sparked a scramble in the area, but James Gibbons was there to the rescue with a clearance off the line.
Quigley came close to pulling things level but snatched his shot wide from 10 yards. It could've been the turning point for Vale but Rotherham turned the game round with two goals in five minutes. Young sub Campbell-Gordon failed to deal with a cross and Ben Wiles fired his shot to beat Hornby from close range, and minutes later fired from 18 yards out inside the far post for his second, giving Hornby no chance.
A tough day at the office for Mick Ede's side who will now turn their focus to Doncaster at home on the 5th December.