Port Vale failed to make the most of their late pressure as Askey's men fell to a 2-1 defeat at Morecambe.
David Worrall made a very encouraging start to this one as the Vale looked to press from the off, he picked the ball up on the halfway line and made a surging run down the wing and delivered into a dangerous area, earning a corner in the process; the resulting cross was punched clear by Mark Halstead in the Morecambe goal.
The home side responded well and came close after just five minutes. Adam Phillips was presented with space outside of the area and he whipped in an excellent cross that looked threatening, but Leon Legge got there first and headed behind for a corner.
The Shrimps made the most of their first corner of the match as they took the lead after six minutes through Steven Old who headed home past Scott Brown.
Worrall continued to be Vale’s catalyst in the opening ten minutes as he looked for a quick response, Tom Conlon found the winger with space on the left and his delivery picked out Cristian Montano who had time for a first touch but was closed down before he could get his shot away.
Just as the Vale looked to claw their way back into the game, Morecambe dealt a sickening blow as they doubled their advantage on 12 minutes through Cole Stockton. A ball was threaded through to Phillips who took one touch and drilled it low across the box to Stockton who was left with an easy finish.
It was a slow next five minutes at the Globe Arena with the home side proving resilient against anything Askey’s side through at them.
Worrall once again looked to carve a scarce opportunity in the first-half for the Valiants, and did well to earn a free-kick in a dangerous area after he was brought down yet his delivery was well dealt with by the Morecambe backline.
Ryan Cooney was next to try and put the game out of the Vale’s reach, he tried his luck from distance but couldn’t quite divert his effort on target.
As we moved towards the latter stages of the first-half, Derek Adams’ side continued to control proceedings with the Vale doing little to suggest that of a comeback.
With five minutes left of the first 45 Askey’s side started to show encouraging signs, David Amoo won the Vale a corner which fell to Conlon on the edge of the box, and his cross was met by the head of Nathan Smith but his effort flashed well wide of the mark.
It was a lacklustre first-half from the Vale to say the least as Askey’s side were left with a lot to do in the second-half.
Morecambe looked the extend their lead as half-time substitute John O’Sullivan delivered a dangerous ball, but Richie Bennett did well to get there first and head out for a corner.
The ball fell to George Tanner on the edge of the box from the resulting cross and he looked to curl the ball towards the far corner, but Brown did well to deal with the bounce as he parried out for another corner.
Brown was forced into another good save almost instantaneously as he reacted well at his near post to deny the Shrimps a third from close range.
Unsurprisingly it was Worrall who was at the heart of the Vale’s first real chance of the half, he floated in a ball from the left but Amoo couldn’t generate enough power on the header as his effort was collected by Halstead.
Bennett then took it upon himself to try and work a way back into the game as he unleashed an audacious effort which flew well over the bar.
It was better from the Vale just after the hour mark and this time it was Amoo who tried his luck. He was gifted space just inside the box and opted to shoot but could only drag his shot wide of the mark.
The Valiants were really beginning to get a foothold with 25 minutes left and continued to utilise the wide areas, Amoo did well to dig a cross into a good area and Bennett rose the highest but couldn’t divert his header on goal.
With 20 minutes left at the Globe Arena the Vale found themselves back in the game thorough the most unlikely of goal scorers, James Gibbons, and what a way to do it. He received the ball on the edge of the box and curled an absolute beauty with his left-foot into the top corner to halve to deficit with his first ever goal for the club.
The Vale really started to get a feel for this one in the last 15 minutes and came agonisingly close to an equaliser through Amoo. Bennett put a pinpoint cross into the box and Amoo did well to meet the ball first, yet his powerful header was denied excellently by Halstead.
As we headed into the final five minutes the Vale pressure began to mount but Adams’ men continued to keep the Valiants at bay.
A much-improved second-half and an excellent James Gibbons strike proved too little too late as Vale left Morecambe empty handing following a 2-1 defeat.
Line-ups
Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons, Joyce, Legge, Worrall, Pope (63' Cullen), Conlon, Montano, Smith, Amoo, Burgess (50' Bennett)
Unused Subs: Maddison, Atkinson, Browne, Evans, Brisley
Morecambe: Halstead, Kenyon, Old, Stockton (81' Leitch-Smith), Lavelle, Mendes-Gomes, Tanner, Slew (71' Brewitt), Cooney, Phillips (45' O'Sullivan), Diagouraga
Unused Subs: Da Silva Mendes, Conlan, Leitch-Smith, Sutton