Mark Cullen’s second-half goal was not enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat to league 1 Bury in the Valiants final pre-season game before the new campaign gets underway with an away trip to Colchester United.
The opening goal of the game went Bury’s way, and came in the 22ndminute when Harry Bunn scored to give Bury the lead, cutting inside and drilling the ball past Scott Brown.
Bury doubled their lead with 38 minutes on the clock, as Evans’ cross pitch ball was intercepted and the resulting counter-attack saw Jordan Archer make it 2-0, firing into Vale’s top corner.
Bury had the majority of the chances in the first-half, but a strong performance by Brown was able to keep his side in the game.
Brown denied Dagnall’s header in the 28thminute, and brilliant one on one save prevented Archer from doubling his tally on the brink of half-time.
The Valiants did create a few chances in the first-half, with Nathan Smith having the best of them, a header inside the box that was saved by Burgoyne.
During the break, Askey made three changes, seeing Pope, Cullen and Gibbons replace Joyce, Evans and Bennett, as well as switching to a 4-4-2 formation.
The changes nearly had an instant impact as James Gibbons broke down the right wing, cut inside and his ball into the box was just cleared.
The change in system and personnel seemed to have immediate success as Cullen thought he had pulled one back as he headed home from close range, but his celebrations were quashed by the linesman who flagged him offside.
The managers half-time team talk proved to have worked excellently, as in the 64thminute, Vale pulled a goal back after Mark Cullen found the back of the net from close range.
The goal came when Pope delivered a dangerous ball into the box which saw the keeper caught in no-mans-land and as Bury failed to clear the ball, Cullen reacted and poked the ball into the bottom corner.
Pope nearly brought his side level with 20 minutes to play, controlling the ball with his chest before volleying just past the post.
Pope came close to levelling things up at Vale Park again, when he rose to meet an Amoo cross but couldn’t beat the keeper.
Vale were unable to find an equaliser after a controlling second-half performance, ending pre-season with a loss but, another promising performance behind them.
Line-Ups
Port Vale: Scott Brown, Adam Crookes (76' Ryan Campbell-Gordon), Luke Joyce (45' James Gibbons), Leon Legge (65' Kieran Kennedy), David Worrall, Manny Oleleke, Tom Conlon, Nathan Smith (65' Connell Rawlinson), Callum Evans (45' Mark Cullen), David Amoo, Richie Bennett (45' Tom Pope).
Unused Subs: Jonny Maddison, Scott Burgess, Dan Trickett-Smith, Alex Hurst.
Bury: Harry. Burgoyne, Tyler Forbes, Callum Booth, Denzil Gravenberch, Alex Lacey, Anthony Kay, Chris Dagnall, Charlie Oliver, Jordan Archer, Harry Bunn, Christ Tiehi.