Oldham Athletic v Port Vale
Oldham Athletic v Port Vale
At Boundary Park
January 2017ndMonday 2
League One
Attendance 3,451 including 435 visiting supporters
Vale began the New Year with a clean sheet away from home, their second defensive success in the space of four days, as the earned themselves a point against bottom of the table Oldham Athletic.
On a hard pitch, affected by the cold weather, neither side tore up trees, but Vale deserved to come out of the game with something after a dogged determined performance, with Nathan Smith and Remie Streete outstanding at the heart of the defence.
The home side had the better of the goal scoring chances, but it was easy to see why they had so little success so far this season in front of goal, and Vale didn’t really do any better at the other end.
Michael Brown went with an unchanged starting eleven as the Vale faced basement outfit Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park, looking to build on their win over Chesterfield four days earlier.
The only change came on the bench, where Chris Mbamba was brought in, with Gezim Shelaj the man to miss out. On the last day of his loan with the club, Alex Jones was deemed too ill to take part.
The opening few minutes of the game saw both sides engaged in a ‘cagey’ affair, with neither side prepared to take any risks, in fear of making a mistake.
minute when Anthony de Freitas made a surging run before slipping the ball into the path of Sam Kelly on the left flank.thVale managed to open up the home side in the 7
The Vale winger pulled the ball back to the edge of the 18 yard box for Ryan Taylor to have a shot, but his scuffed effort came to nothing and Oldham were able to clear their lines.
Vale had a spell on top but didn’t trouble home ‘keeper Connor Ripley, before Jak Alnwick had to make a routine save at the other end from Freddie Ladapo.
The home side were having slightly the better of things from an attacking point of view and they really ought to have got their noses in front when Ladapo found himself one on one with Alnwick.
Ryan Flynn slipped the ball through a tight gap and into the 18 yard box to Ladapo. Alnwick came quickly off his line and made himself big and Ladapo fired into the side-netting.
minute when Sam Kelly hit a rasping 20 yard volley which Ripley got the slightest of touches on to tip it over his crossbar.thVale fans were on their feet in the 39
Yet it was still the home side who were looking the more likely to break the deadlock, despite Vale defending well in general. It was Oldham who looked the more determined to play the ball into attacking areas of the pitch.
Vale started the second half the brighter of the two sides but again, they didn’t manage to cause any problems in the final third.
At the other end, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Ladapo again fired wide of the target when he really ought to have tested Jak Anlwick.
minute of the game when Michael Brown took off Sam Kelly and replaced him on the Vale left with Kiko.thVale made their first change in the 66
minute with a superb save and despite following up, substitute Carl Winchester was unable to stick away the loose ball.thThe home side were denied by Alnwick in the 68
minute when Anthony de Freitas came off to be replaced by Chris Mbamba as Vale looked to see if fresh legs could make a difference.stVale made another substitution in the 71
There was a worrying sight for the Val when Jerome Thomas went down and stayed down with the Vale physio called into action. The winger eventually limped off, but was soon back in the action.
Vale rode their luck as the game went into stoppage time with the ball bobbling around inside the Vale box and still, somehow, the home side failed to hit the target.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC: Chris Kettings, Josh Law, Billy McKay, Carl Winchester, George Edmundson, Cameron Dummingham, Paul Green.SUBS:Connor Ripley, Brian Wilson, Cameron Burgess, Ryan Flynn, Ollie Banks, Lee Croft, Freddie Ladapo, Darius Osei, Ousmane Fane, Peter Clarke, Ryan McLaughlin.
PORT VALE: Miguel Santos, Sebastien Amoros, Quentin Pereira, Sam Hart, Kiko, Dan Turner, Chris Mbamba.SUBS:Jak Alnwick, Ben Purkiss, Remie Streete, Kjell Knops, Sam Kelly, Rigino Cicilia, Jerome Thomas, Nathan Smith, Anthony de Freitas, Ryan Taylor, Anthony Grant.