As John Askey prepares his side for tomorrow afternoons tough visit to the league leaders, Swindon Town, we look back on two classic games against the Robins.
Division Two, County Ground, Saturday 7th September 2002: Swindon Town 1 Port Vale 2
Vale went into the game in 19th place in the table and in need of points to keep away from the bottom four. They fell behind though in the 7th minute when a low cross from the right was swept past Mark Goodlad from six yards by Andy Gurney. Two minutes later Vale were level when a ball into the box by Michael Walsh was headed straight to Marc Bridge-Wilkinson on the edge of the box and he drilled a low shot past Bart Griemink in the home goal.
Vale went in front for the first time in the 67th minute when Jon McCarthy arrowed a diagonal ball into the box and Bridge-Wilkinson was there to head the ball into the net. Vale’s Rae Ingram was sent off in the 75th minute for a foul so Vale had to dig deep afterwards but the ten men held on for the victory.
Swindon T – Griemink, Gurney, Reeves (Willis 73), Miglioranzi, Edds (Young 84), Duke, Robinson, Heywood, Sabin, Davis, Parkin
Subs not used - Farr, Hewlett, Dykes
Port Vale – Goodlad, Walsh, Carragher, Collins, Brightwell, McCarthy, Brisco (Ingram 18), Bridge-Wilkinson, Cummins, McPhee, Angell
Subs not used – Boyd, Paynter, McClare, Delany
Att. 5,029
League One, County Ground, Saturday 8th October 2005: Swindon Town 1 Port Vale 2
Vale were fifth in the table and were hoping to pick up a win at bottom of the table Swindon. It was Swindon who took the lead though in the 24th minute. A good move between Michael Pook and Neale McDermott led to Rory Fallon sliding home a right wing cross.
Vale levelled on the stroke of half time. Vale were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box which was taken by full back Micky Bell and his shot deflected off the wall to totally wrong foot the ‘keeper and nestle in the opposite corner of the net.
Vale went in front eight minutes into the second half. George Pilkington launched a long ball downfield but as Swindon ‘keeper Tom Heaton came out it bounced on the edge of the area and went straight over him leaving Chris Cornes, on loan from Wolves, with the simple task of stroking the ball into the empty net. That’s the same Tom Heaton who is now at Aston Villa and has played for England.
Swindon T – Heaton, Jenkins, O’Hanlon, Jack Smith, lfil, Pook, McDermott, Whalley (Wells 78), Bouazza (Nicholas 87), Heath (Shakes 60), Fallon
Subs not used – Bulman, Collins
Port Vale – Goodlad, Pilkington, Collins, Dinning, Bell, Cornes, Cummins, Sonner, Innes (James 84), Paynter, Mulligan
Subs not used – Clarke, Jeff Smith, Rowland, Brain
Att. 4,531