Match report from Vale Park
Saturday 21st September 2013
Port Vale v Coventry City
League One
9,218 including 3,184 visiting supporters At Vale Park
Attendance:
Mathieu Manset, Lee Burge, Adam Barton, Jordan Willis, Louis Garner, Ryan Haynes, Ben Maund SUBS: Joe Murphy, Cyrus Christie, Blair Adams, Andy Webster, Conor Thomas, John Fleck, Carl Baker, Leon Clarke, Franck Moussa, Callum Wilson, Jordan Clarke, COVENTRY CITY:
Chris Birchall,
goal of the season for the Sky Blues, only for Franck Moussa to stun the home crowd with what is surely a contender for goal of the season.thTom Pope levelled the scores after Callum Wilson claimed his 9
minute and fittingly, Chris Birchall, a former Sky Blue, hit the decider eight minutes from time.thVale skipper Doug Loft levelled matters in the 59
Micky Adams made two changes to the side that was unlucky to come away from Brisbane Road with nothing in Vale’s previous game.
The Vale boss elected to bring Adam Yates back in for Richard Duffy and Chris Lines replaced Kaid Mohamed in midfield, as Vale looked to halt Coventry’s recent run of form.
In a lively start to the game, both sides were competing well in the middle of the park, with tackles flying in thick and fast.
minute when he got a toe to the ball, but could only manage to prod it wide of the target.thCoventry top scorer Callum Wilson, who came into the game with eight goals against his name, wasn’t too far off adding to his total in the 12
minute.rdWith both sides committed to attack, it was difficult to predict which of the two sides would break the deadlock, but the answer to that came in the 33
GOAL: CALLUM WILSONfound himself faced with Liam Chilvers and Adam Yates inside the Vale box and with Chris Neal coming off his line, the Coventry man showed some neat footwork before slipping the ball past all three of them and into an empty net.
GOAL: rise the highest to plan a firm textbook header past Joe Murphy and into the Coventry net.TOM POPE minute saw thThe visitors’ lead didn’t last long. A Chris Lines free kick from the right flank in the 40
GOAL:, who ran straight at the Vale defence and hit a 30 yard scorcher into the roof of the net, giving Chris Neal no chance of saving it.FRANCK MOUSSAThree minutes later the visitors restored their lead with an absolute belter of a goal from
Vale made a double substitution at the start of the second half. On came Chris Birchall for Jennison Myrie-Williams, whilst Louis Dodds was replaced by Ben Williamson.
The home side stepped things up after an initial flourish from the visitors with Griffith and Williamson each going close – the latter drilling into the side-netting.
GOAL: sprinted in to slam the ball into the net from 8 yards.DOUG LOFT minute Vale were back on level terms. A Chris Lines free kick from the left was knocked back inside by Chris Birchall and thIn the 59
Vale continued to press, causing the visitors’ defence all sorts of problems in a game that was well worth the admission money whichever team you happened to support, with both sets of fans frequently out of their seats.
Tom Pope came within a whisker of getting his second of the game when he got up at the far post to meet Chris Birchall’s cross from the right, but he headed wide of the target.
GOAL: was on hand to send the loose ball into the back of the net.CHRIS BIRCHALL minute Vale go their noses in front for the first time when Murphy saved Pope’s initial effort, but ndIn the 82