Match report from the Novus Stadium
Vale failed to follow up their convincing win at Newcastle Town the previous weekend with a similar scoreline at the Novus Stadium,
They did, however, come back from a goal down with two goals from veteran midfielder Michael Brown to record their second pre-season victory.
KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC: Taylor Attrel, Jack Hunter, Josh Bowden, Matt Bakari, Louis Phama, Connor Saunders.SUBS:Krystian Burzynski, Danny Smith, Ross Davidson, Ryan Austin, Ash Hoskinson, Marc Grocott, Dan Skelton, Tom Maddison, Harry Clayton, Ant Malbon, Joe Woolley.
PORT VALE FIRST HALF: Jak Alnwick, Billy Reeves, Calvin McIntosch, Kjell Knops, Francisco Rosa (Kiko), Anthony Grant, Paulo Tavares, Jerome Thomas, Ryan Lloyd, JJ Hooper, Rigino Cicilia.
PORT VALE SECOND HALF:Ryan Boot, James Gibbons, Nathan Smith, Remie Streete, Adam Yates, Michael Brown, Anthony De Freitas, Quentin Pereira, Chris Mbamba, Carlso Saleiro, Sam Kelly
Attendance:1,157
Vale boss Bruno Ribeiro again decided to split his squad and play a different eleven in each half of the match against Kidsgrove Athletic.
Vale could haeve taken the lead with just five minutes gone but Cicilia headed just off target after getting up to head a right wing corner from Kiko over the crossbar.
Former Vale trainee Anthony Malbon was presented with a golden opportunity to put the home side ahead after Harry Clayton was brought down inside the box by Calvin Mac_Intosch.
Malbon placed the ball on the spot, but fired wide of Jak Alnwick;s right hand upright, much to the dismay of his team mates.
Cicilia threatened a couple of times as Vale, facing down the slope at the Novus Stadium, had plenty of the ball against the Evo Stick League outfit.
Malbon showd a great touch, bringing the ball down to create space for a shot, but then firing just inches over Alnwick’s crossbar.
Then with the first half coming to a close, Tavares curled a 20-yard free kick just wide of Burzynski’s right hand upright, to the relief of the Kidsgrove ‘keeper.
Vale continued to knock the ball about well in the second half and during one spell of pressure had a couple of shots blocked on the line.
GOAL: hit a beautiful 20-yard curling shot beyond the outstretched fingers of Ryan Boot.Harry Clayton minute when stBut it was the home side who struck first in the 71
Vale had another couple of shots blocked on the line, this time from Quentin Pereira and then Sam Kelly, as Vale put on the pressure looking for an equaliser.
GOAL: showed everybody how it is done, cutting in from the left before firing low into the left hand corner to put Vale back on level terms.MICHAEL BROWN minute thThen in the 79
GOAL: followed it up with his and Vale’s second, when he met a right hand cross from James Gibbons with a firm header at the back post.BROWNFour minutes later