Substitute Will Atkinson proved to be the Vale hero this evening as his stoppage-time strike gave Askey's men their first away league win of the season.
It was a cagey opening first five minutes at Valley Parade, yet the first chance fell to the Vale after the ball was switched out wide to David Worrall, who proceeded to take on the shot with is left foot which arrowed just wide of the post.
Three minutes later the Valiants were awarded the first corner of the game and Worrall’s delivery found an unmarked Leon Legge whose flick just skimmed the top of the crossbar; a threatening start from Askey’s men.
The Vale certainly did not start like a team who began the evening in the bottom half of the table, as they dominated the opening quarter of an hour, looking the better side.
The early Vale domination paid off after just 18 minutes as they took a well-deserved lead thanks to Worrall who netted his first of the season.
It was sharp build-up play from Askey’s side, and after some slick passing in the middle of the park, the ball found its way to Richie Bennett in the box who shielded the ball excellently and laid it to Worrall who fired into the bottom corner.
It took 26 minutes for Bradford to fashion their first half-chance of the match, and it came in the form of Aramide Oteh who went on a surging run through the middle of the park, but his shot was expertly blocked by Leon Legge.
In the 34th minute the Vale came close again and this time it was Jake Taylor's turn to try his luck, a low driven corner to the edge of the box found the midfielder but his low effort was blocked well.
The Vale continued to carve chances in this one, and it was Taylor once more who picked the ball up just outside the area, but his driving effort was once again blocked by the Bradford backline.
James Gibbons then got amongst the action just moments later on his return to the side and he whipped a pinpoint cross into the area but Bennett could only divert his header into Richard O’Donnell’s arms.
Vale looked comfortable towards the end of the first-half, however Bradford were then awarded a penalty after Taylor was adjudged to have pulled the Bradford forward over in the box. James Vaughn then diverted the spot-kick to restore parity for the home side just before the interval; undeserved to say the least.
It was a classy first-half performance from the Valiants but a soft penalty decision undone all of the hard work from John Askey's men.
It was a thoroughly impressive first-half display from the Vale who deserved the lead at the break, but a questionable penalty decision from the referee meant the sides went into half-time level.
The first chance after the restart fell to Richards-Everton when he rose highest from a Bradford corner, but his effort failed to test Scott Brown.
Braford began the second-half in much better fashion than they did the first, and on 57 minutes Brown was called into action as he made a phenomenal save to keep out Hope Akpan’s effort which was heading for the far corner.
The Vale were still struggling to replicate that first-half performance midway through the second period, yet the backline continued to thwart anything that came their way as Bradford continued to press.
Bradford’s domination nearly paid off after 70 minutes when the ball was pulled back to Kelvin Mellor inside the box, whose effort beat Brown but Legge was there once again, this time to clear off the line.
The Bantams showed no sign of slowing down with ten minutes to go, and Connor Wood found space down the left-hand side and his delivery found James Vaughn who failed to divert his effort on target.
After 85 minutes, Bowyer’s men had another opportunity to take the lead as a cross came in from the right-hand side which found a wide open Oteh, however his header sailed harmlessly over the bar.
In the 93rd minute it appeared than justice had been served in the form of Will Atkinson after he pounced onto a loose ball in the Bradford area and fired home into the top-right corner to give Vale their first away league win of the season.
Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons, Joyce, Legge, Worrall, Montano, Smith, Taylor (95' Brisley), Amoo, Burgess (73' Atkinson) , Bennett
Unused Subs: Maddison, Pope, Browne, Evans, Archer
Bradford City: O’Donnell, Mellor, Richards-Everton, O’Connor, Ismail, Vaughn, Akpan, Wood, Devine (94' O'Connor), Oteh, Cooke
Unused Subs: Sykes-Kenworthy, McCartan, Anderson, Patrick, Henley, Staunton