REPORT: Bolton Wanderers v Port Vale
Attendance: 13,937 including 1,152 visiting supporters
League One
At The Macron Stadium
Saturday 29th October 2016
Bolton Wanderers v Port Vale
On paper it looked as though Vale were comprehensively beaten at the Macro Stadium, and anybody who only watched the opening twenty minutes or so would have been in full agreement, but again it was a game of two halves, with a much improved Vale display in the second forty five minutes.
Of course it was too little too late, with the damage truly well and done in the opening 16 minutes of the game. By then Vale had already shipped three goals and looked like they could have conceded a few more by half time.
To their credit, Vale kept going and they managed to pull a goal back thanks to Sam Hart’s close range header, but it was too big a mountain to climb for Bruno Ribeiro’s side.
Vale made two changes for the visit to the Macron Stadium, with midfielder Sam Foley out through injury and Calvin Mac-Intosch having to settle for a seat on the bench.
In came winger Sam Kelly and defender Kjell Knops as Vale looked to get something from a strong in-form Bolton outfit who have hit the heights in terms of their form in recent weeks.
threatened eraly on, winning a free kick 25 yards from goal, but it came to nothing and the home side were able to clear quite comfortably. Vale
The home side then went close with a rasping shot from Sammy Ameobi, which stung the hands of Vale ‘keeper Jak Alnwick, who dived full length to his left to push the ball away.
GOAL: burst through the middle before unleashing a 20 yard drive that ended in the back of the net.Zach Clough minute, however, when thThere was no stopping Bolton in the 7
GOAL: to slam home.Josh VelaThe Vale defence was unpicked again just four minutes later when Lawrie Wilson picked up the ball on the right flank, skipped to the byline and pulled the ball back for
GOAL: hit an absolute screamer from 25 yards, giving Alnwick absolutely no chance.Lawrie Wilson minute when thVale were having a torrid time of it and they fell further behind in the 16
Nathan Smith headed over at the other end, but when that would have made any difference had it gone in as, to be quite frank, unlikely, with the home side looking like they could score at will.
Although al emanaged to contain the home side for a while, it seemed like a lot of that was due to Bolton taking their collective foot of the pedal.
minute.thOn saying that, it could quite easily have been four-nil, had Alnwick not been alert to a cheeky effort from Andrew Taylor in the 35
It was difficult to imagine what the half time talk would be like. Would it be worth going out on the attack to try and pull something back or would it be better to keep the score down and pack the defence.
Whoever it was who did that half time team talk will have had a difficult job trying to lift the players. Droves of Vale fans had already left by then, opting for a train just down the road.
On the pitch, Vale made their first change. Anthony de Freitas came of the bench with Jerom Thomas remaining in the Vale dressing room.
The home side could have extended their lead early in the second half, had they not wasted their chances in front of goal.
The Val defence was at times carved open much to easily, but credit to the Vale, they kept plugging away, believing they could somehow get themselves back into the Game.
minute, when Cicilia was withdrawn from the action and replaced by Martin Paterson.thThey made a further change in the 58
and Sam Kelly’s header had goal written all over it, but Mark Howard made a superb reaction save, pushing the ball over his crossbar. On 63 minutes Sam Hart chipped the ball in from the left
The Vale were by now having the better of the play, but it was a bit late for that really. Had they started in the same manner the scoreline could have been so different.
GOAL:SAM HART.Vale managed to pull a goal back on 74 minutes when Ryan Taylor’s free kick from the right took a slight deflection and was nodded home at the back post by
Vale made a third change in the 85 minutes, Chris Mbamba coming off the bench to replace Sam Kelly and moments later defender Remie Streete forced a save from Howard. Had that gone in, the pressure could have really been on.
BOLTON WANDERERS: Ben Alnwick, Lewis Buxton, Chris Taylor, Jamie Proctor, Keshi Anderson, James Henry.SUBS:Mark Howard, Mark Beevers, Josh Vela, Jamie Proctor, Zach Clough, Gary Madine, Liam Trotter, Derik Osede, Andrew Taylor, Sammy Ameobi, LawrieWilson, David Wheater.
PORT VALE: Miguel Santos, Calvin Mac-Intosch, Martin Peterson, Chris Mbamba, Quentin Pereira, Sebastien Amoros, Anthony de Freitas.SUBS:Jak Alnwick, Remie Streete, Kjell Knops, Sam Kelly, Paulo Tavares, Regino Cicilia, Jerome Thomos, Nathan Smith, Ryan Taylor, Anthony Grant, Sam Hart.