Vale maintain 100% record thanks to Pereira hat-trick

Vale reserves keep up their 100% record

Port Vale 3 Morecambe 2

Vale reserves remain top of the Central League West Division after a 3-2 victory over Morecambe thanks to a hat trick by skipper Quentin Pereira. Vale dominated from the start and almost took the lead in the second minute when a Gezim Shalaj cross was fired against the bar by Chris Mbamba.

minute. Rigino Cicilia laid the ball off to Pereira in the area and he scored with a low shot past Niall Maher. A minute later it was almost 2-0 when Sam Kelly passed to Cicilia and his chip was just grabbed by Maher.^rdVale went in front in the 23

Mbamba shot wide when well placed before a rare Morecambe attack saw Robbie Jenkinson head over from a corner. A Shalaj cross saw Cicilia flick the ball goalwards only for Maher to make a fine save to concede a corner. Cicilia then had a shot blocked on the line as did Michael Brown as Vale ended the half well in control.

minute. A corner was swung over and as Miguel Santos failed to gather the ball Paul Dawson forced it home. A Shalaj cross led to Calvin Mac-Intosch having a header saved before Morecambe went in front.^ndThat all changed when Morecambe equalised out of the blue in the 52

Luke Dennis flicked the ball to Mac-Intosch who misplaced a header back to Santos which gave Steve Yawson the opportunity to take the ball past the ‘keeper but he dragged him down to concede a penalty and get booked for his trouble. Dawson scored his second goal of the game from the spot-kick.

minute. Kelly crossed to Mbamba and he headed the ball into the path of Pereira who swept the ball home to make it 2-2. It was all Vale now and Brown hit a good shot just over the bar.^thBrown hit a 25 yard shot that Maher fumbled for a corner as Vale hit back and they drew level in the 76

 With six minutes remaining Vale’s pressure paid off with a third goal. Substitute Michael Conlon sent over a cross from the left and Pereira volleyed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

Vale – Santos, Walford, Kiko, Pereira, Mac-Intosch, Dennis, Mbamba, Brown, Cicilia (Barton 72), Kelly, Shalaj (Conlon 77)

Subs not used – Pickering, Calveley, Fraser

Morecambe - Maher, Docherty (Dutton-Kaye 46), Ingham, Brownsword, Jenkinson, Dawson, Jordan, Box (Heredia Kaye 85), Hawley, Yawson (Fairclough 77), Drewery (Webb, 77).

Sub not used – Armstrong

REPORT: Phil Sherwin