We kicked off our Papa Johns Trophy Group Stage campaign with a win over Stockport County at Vale Park this evening, with Chris Hussey’s second-half thunder-strike securing the victory.
The first opportunity of the game came Vale’s way when Tommy McDermott intercepted the ball in the centre of the park, drove forward and unleashed a curling effort from the edge of the box that went inches wide of the top corner.
In the 14th minute, Stockport had their first attempt of the game, as ex-Valiant Ryan Johnson flicked a header towards goal, but it was easily caught by Aidan Stone.
Ten minutes later Sammy Robinson nearly gave Vale lead, as he used brilliant footwork to chop inside his man and drive towards goal where he unleashed a low powerful shot that was saved by Ben Hinchcliffe’s feet at his near post.
Soon after McDermott had his second attempt of the game, letting fly from 30-yards, but his effort went high of the goal as he slipped whilst taking on the shot.
The chances came thick and fast for the Vale, with new signing Mipo Odubeko running in behind the Stockport defence before cutting back onto his left foot to hit one towards the bottom corner, but he was denied by the keeper.
Just past the half-hour mark Odubeko went close to opening the scoring again, this time running onto an over the top through ball from Robinson, which he controlled and drilled across goal, with the ball going agonisingly close to the bottom left corner.
As the game was approaching half-time, a throw-in led to the ball falling at the feet of Tom Pett inside the area, where he drilled it across goal and just wide of the far bottom corner.
Tommy McDermott had the first attempt of the second period, with a looping shot from the edge of the box that dipped just over the bar.
Ten minutes into the second-half Chris Hussey nearly caught the Stockport keeper out with a cross that floated over his head but landed on the roof of the net.
Stockport came close to taking the lead when they rattled the bar with a close-range volley from Paddy Madden.
It was Vale who would take the lead however, with 64 minutes on the clock, Tom Pett played a brilliant through ball into Gavin Massey who drove at goal and had his shot blocked, but Chris Hussey arrived and absolutely rifled the ball into the near top corner, nearly taking the back of the net off to put Vale in front.
With ten minutes left to play Thierry Small looked to double the lead, curling a shot towards the bottom right corner from just outside the area, but it rolled just wide of the mark.
Near the end of the game Academy graduate, James Plant, came on as a substitute to make his Port Vale first team debut.
Port Vale: Stone, Cass, Jones, Forrester, Hussey, Massey (71’ Small), Charsley (71’ Walker (86’ Hall)), Odubeko, Pett, Robinson, McDermott (86’ Plant).
Unused Subs: Stevens, Benning, Agyakwa.
Stockport County: Hinchcliffe, Southam-Hales, Wright (58’ Lewis), Horsfall, Evans, Johnson, Croasdale, Wooton (58’ Madden), Kitching, Hippolyte (58’ Collar), Jennings.
Unused Subs: Palmer, Camps, Crankshaw, Jaros.