REPORT: Chesterfield v Port Vale

Vale’s hopes of taking anything back home with them from Derbyshire were left in ruins, with former Vale players causing most of the problems as Vale crashed to a 3-0 defeat to Chesterfield.

Former Vale midfielder Sam Morsey showed just how much he has matured as a player, pulling the strings for the home side in the middle of the park.

minute but Vale were very much still in the game as they trailed by a single goal at half time.^thIvorian striker Armand Gnanduillet headed the home side in front in the 12

Eoin Doyle increased the Spireites lead from the spot on the hour, then fifteen minutes later came the third to finish of any hopes had of getting something from the game.

Former Vale loanee Jay O'Shea sent in a corner kick from the right and Charlie Raglan, a former trainee at the Vale, sprinted in to power a header past Chris Neal to wrap up the points.

Rob Page unsurprisingly kept the same starting eleven for the game at the Proact Stadium – the fifth match in succession Vale had fielded the same side.

The only change came on the bench. Ryan Lloyd picked up a knock against Norton United in midweek and his place amongst the Vale substitutes went to Byron Moore, the former Crewe man recovering from a virus.

An early Vale attack saw Mark Marshall skin his marker before pulling the ball back from the byeline towards the far post, but unfortunately for the visitors Louis Dodds couldn’t quite keep his header down.

Morsey was pulling the strings in the middle of the park for the home side, spreading the ball about across the pitch and slotting the off ball through the heart of the Vale defence to cause the Vale a few problems.

minute when challenged by Adam Yates, but the referee rightly judged there had been no contact.^thT went down inside the Vale box in the 8GNANDUILLEThere was almost another problem for the Vale when

GOAL:Four minutes later, however, the Ivorian striker had the last laugh when he rose the meet a left wing cross with a firm downward header to put the Spireites in front. 

Marshall was at it again, forcing his way to the byeline to send in another right wing cross, and again it found Dodds, but again the Vale midfielder couldn’t keep the ball down, heading over the crossbar.

Richard Duffy volleyed narrowly over the Chesterfield cross bar as Vale went in search of an equaliser, with the visitors very much still in the game.

minute for what the referee saw as a rash challenge in the middle of the park, but from up in the press box he appeared to have played the ball.^thVale skipper Carl Dickinson picked up a yellow card in the 39

Dany N’Guessan failed to come out for the second half, Colin Daniel taking up his position on the Vale left as Vale looked to get themselves back into the game.

They almost did just that two minutes after the interval when Williamson unleashed a fierce 25 yard effort that wasn’t too far off the target.

Then at the other end, Morsey whipped in an angled cross from the right with Doyle sprinting into the box, but the Irishman couldn’t quite get his head to it.

Vale supporters shouted for a spot kick when a shot from Marshall struck Spireites’ defender Sam Hird, but the appeals were nothing more than wishful thinking from the Vale faithful.

Vale made a second change on 56 minutes. Michael Brown, wh had been booked in the first half, was taken off and replaced by Chris Lines.

GOAL: inside the box and the Chesterfield top scorer hammered home from the penalty spot.EOIN DOYLEThe home side increased their lead on the hour when Fredi Veseli upended

A dipping 25 yard 25 yard shot from Morsey could have further stretched the home side’s lead, but for Vale ‘keeper Chris Neal, who moved smartly to his left to push around his upright.

minute, Louis Dodds making way for Frenchman Achill Campion, with Vale desperately needing a goal from somewhere.^thVale made their third and final substitution in the 66

minute.^thChris Neal was called upon to make a further two decent saves as the home side looked to turn the screw and they managed to do just that in the 70

GOAL:, who planted a firm header into the net against his former club.CHARLIE RAGLANNeal had managed to turn away a hot for the corner, but when the flag kick came in from the right, it was met by

Ben Wiliamson almost snatched a goal back for the Valiants when he turned sharply on the edge of the box to fire a shot against Tommy Lee’s crossbar.

Campion almost got his name on the scoresheet when he slid in stretching to get a toe to the ball, but Lee went down sharply at the foot of the post to block.

CHESTERFIELD: Myles Wright, Dan Gardner, Jimmy Ryan, Jay O’Shea, Daniel Jones, Drew Talbot, Mani Dieseruvwe SUBS:Tommy Lee, Tendayi Darikwa, Sam Hird, Sam Morsey, Armand Gnanduillet, Gary Roberts, Sam Clucas, Ritchie Humphreys, Charlie Raglan, Eoin Doyle, Romauld Boco.  

PORT VALE:Sam Johnson, Chris Robertson, Chris Birchall, Chris Lines, Colin Daniel, Byron Moore, Achille Campion SUBS:Chris Neal, Adam Yates, Fredi Veseli, Richard Duffy, Carl Dickinson, Michael Brown, Louis Dodds, Michael O’Connor, Mark Marshall, Ben Williamson, Dany N’Guessan.  

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There will be a full match report on the official website moments after the final whistle, with player and manager interviews to come later.

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