Four days after victory against Salop, the Valiants face them once again, but this time at Montgomery Waters Meadow in the Papa John’s Trophy.
A brace from striker Ellis Harrison, which included a stoppage-time winner, toppled the Shrews on Saturday at Vale Park.
Now Vale turn their attention to Tuesday night’s Papa John’s Trophy fixture, and we take a look at how both teams faired in the first round of matches.
VISITORS LAST TIME OUT IN THE TROPHY: Tuesday 30th August, Montgomery Waters Meadow, Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers U21
A young Shrewsbury side fell to defeat in the first round of Papa John’s Trophy fixtures to Wolves U21 team.
All the goals came late on in the match with Travis Hernes’ opening the scoring with 15 minutes remaining before a brace from Joe Hodge won the game for the academy team.
Shrewsbury broke the deadlock in the 75th minute through substitute Hernes when he received the ball from 25 yards out and hit a low-driven shot into the bottom left corner.
The lead did not last long though, with Hodges grabbing his first through a close-range effort after he sneaked in behind Harry Burgoyne after Salop failed to deal with a fierce cross.
Like Saturday, Salop fell behind in additional time when Hodges bagged his second from a curling effort that smashed into the roof of the net.
After a quiet first period the visitors came out in the second half searching for the first goal, and they nearly got it when Hodge forced a save from Burgoyne after a stinging effort from 20 yards.
Before the last-minute winner Wolves came close through two chances from Hodge and Nathan Fraser, but Burgoyne did well to parry away both opportunities.
The last-minute winner did then come, and Shrewsbury fell to defeat in their first match of the competition whilst for Vale it was a different story.
VALE’S LAST TIME OUT IN THE TROPHY: Tuesday 30th August, Vale Park, Port Vale 1-0 Stockport County
We kicked off our Papa John’s Trophy Group Stage campaign with a win over Stockport County, with Chris Hussey’s second-half thunder-strike securing the victory.
Vale took the lead with 64 minutes on the clock through now Stockport player, Chris Hussey, when he rifled the ball into the near top corner after the ball fell to him from Gavin Massey’s blocked effort.
The first opportunity of the game came Vale’s way when Tommy McDermott intercepted the ball in the centre of the park, drove forward, and unleashed a curling effort from the edge of the box that went inches wide of the top corner.
In the 14th minute, Stockport had their first attempt of the game, as ex-Valiant Ryan Johnson flicked a header towards goal, but it was easily caught by Aidan Stone.
Ten minutes later Sammy Robinson nearly gave Vale the lead, as he used brilliant footwork to chop inside his man and drive towards goal where he unleashed a low powerful shot that was saved by Ben Hinchcliffe’s feet at his near post.
Soon after McDermott had his second attempt of the game, letting fly from 30-yards, but his effort went high of the goal as he slipped whilst taking on the shot.
The chances came thick and fast for Vale, with debutant Mipo Odubeko running in behind the Stockport defence before cutting back onto his left foot to hit one towards the bottom corner, but he was denied by the keeper.
Just past the half-hour mark, Odubeko went close to opening the scoring again, this time running onto an over-the-top through ball from Robinson, which he controlled and drilled across goal, with the ball going agonisingly close to the bottom left corner.
As the game was approaching half-time, a throw-in led to the ball falling at the feet of Tom Pett inside the area, where he drilled it across goal and just wide of the far bottom corner.
Tommy McDermott had the first attempt of the second period, with a looping shot from the edge of the box that dipped just over the bar.
Ten minutes into the second-half Hussey nearly caught the Stockport keeper out with a cross that floated over his head but landed on the roof of the net.
Stockport came close to taking the lead when they rattled the bar with a close-range volley from Paddy Madden.
With ten minutes left to play Thierry Small looked to double the lead, curling a shot towards the bottom right corner from just outside the area, but it rolled just wide of the mark.
Near the end of the game Academy graduate, James Plant, came on as a substitute to make his Port Vale first-team debut.
Port Vale | Stone, Cass, Jones, Forrester, Hussey, Massey (71’ Small), Charsley (71’ Walker (86’ Hall), Odubeko, Pett, Robinson, McDermott (86’ Plant).
Unused Subs | Stevens, Benning, Agyakwa.
Stockport County | Hinchcliffe, Southam-Hales, Wright (58’ Lewis), Horsfall, Evans, Johnson, Croasdale, Wooton (58’ Madden), Kitching, Hippolyte (58’ Collar), Jennings.
Unused Subs | Palmer, Camps, Crankshaw, Jaros.
GROUP STANDINGS:
- Wolves U21 3
- Port Vale 3
- Shrewsbury Town 0
- Stockport County 0
Vale will be hoping they can continue their strong form on Tuesday night, having been unbeaten in their last four, but Salop will be hoping to spoil the party and get their first three points of the tournament.