Vale Battle back to take three points in the cup

Port Vale hosted League one’s Shrewsbury in the Leasing.com trophy. The last time the two teams met was last year in the third round where Vale walked away the victors winning the game on penalties. John Askey made five changes to the team with Tom Pope getting called back up to start for Vale.

 

With two minutes gone David Amoo shows great play as he runs into the right hand corner and delivers a drifting cross, as the ball came in there seemed to be a push in the back for Lloyd, but the referee does not react.

Ryan Lloyd, is very much a marmite type player at the moment with Vale fans but he looking bright in the early goings with a number of keys passes as Vale press forward. Vale playing the passing game and leading the attack from the back, Vale by far the better team in the early goings.

Eight minutes in and Callum Evans has a free kick in the middle of Vales, half drifted in but too far for any player and goes out for a goal kick. Montano with some great individual skill, taking the ball down and they good ball control, but too much power in the lump upfront and it goes out. Monty’s reaction shows he knows he should have done better.

Its thirteen minutes before Port Vales next real attack with a ball crossed in to Ryan Lloyd who rises for the header, but gets no power on it at all and it goes across the box he should have done better with that. Vale could easily have been one up there.

Big mistake by Crookes who passes it back across the box to smith, but does not put enough power in it giving Shrewsbury their best chance so far.Luckly for Vale Kieran Kennedy manages to get back and put it out for a corner.

As it reaches the 25 minute mark, Shrewsbury start to get into the game with a run down the left wing, the cross lacked power and direction though and Scott Brown was able to collect with ease. Vale then fail to stop a cross coming in and it bounces out to the edge of the box and is crossed into Josh Laurent who smashes it against the cross bar, only for Kieran Kennedy to put it over his own line. Vale are unlucky to be behind at this point, but Shrewsbury had certainly upped the pace.

Vale don’t sulk though and press forward with a cross from Monty into the centre of the box, Amoo takes the shot but it hits the post desperately unlucky. Kennedy gets the ball tangled in his legs after he held on the ball for too long Shaun Whalley is breathing down his neck, but he makes a good recovery and gets it clear.

With 33 mins gone, Shrewsbury have a free kick on the edge of the box, its driven in, but Scott Brown is well placed to collect it .

Great play form Amoo, over to the left to Monty who gets part the Brad Walker, but the cross lets him down and the ball goes out for a goal kick. Tom Pope showing his anger as he felt that he was free.

On the 41st minute Shaun Walley is troubling the Vale defence as he is able to run to the edge of the box, Smith manages to get a foot on the pass to knock it out of play on the far side. Port Vale had a number of chances to stop the ball getting into that position in the first place though and should have cleared it attempted a tackle far earlier. As the ball is cleared Crookes is battling with Ryan Bennett using his shoulder well to make sure that he does not get away with the ball. Appeals from Ryan as he felt he was pushed, but the referee is shaking his head.

Second half

Vale doing a warm up, this is not something that  would have been seen under Aspin, but seems to be a key thing to John Askeys setup, as he often comments about players fitness.

Great cross from Gibbons in Pope who normally loves them but he is well marked and is not able to deliver his normally reliable header.Lloyd and Gibbons working well together, but the do misread each other and the ball is fed through, but Gibbons doesn’t run meaning it goes out for a goal kick.

After the 52 minute Pope brings the ball down and feeds it into Amoo who puts his laces through it, but its deflected for a corner. Two minutes later the ball drifted in to the ever waiting head of Tom Pope but it comes of the top of his head and goes over. Great play

The corner count is creeping up for Shrewsbury, they have yet to make something of it, but the more they have the high the risk, in the past Vale have struggled against the set piece. Great link up play by pope and Amoo a partnership that we haven’t seen a lot of this season, but it seems they understand each others game. Jordan Archer coming on for Tom Pope last season no manager would have dared to substitute Pope, but this season the manager has confidence in the depth in his team. It would appear that we are no longer a one man team.

David Amoo brought down in the box and penalty given by Leigh Doughty, the Assistant referee did not appear to give it though. Was it a foul ?? we will leave that one to the replay. Amoo steps up as the penalty taker and smashes the ball into the centre of the goal and its Vale 1 Shrewsbury 1

Jake Taylor is substituted for Mark Cullen

Jordan Archer with a run down the right wing, but runs too far and runs out of options so has to try to square it, however the defender clears it out for a corner. With in a minute Amoo running down the wing, Donald Love could not match him for pace and had to bring him down often said to be taking one for the team and she is cautioned for the take down.

Worrall who is modelling a face guard, due to a broken nose, is on for Amoo, get the feeling that the decision is to keep him fresh for league action as he looking dangerous when he was taken off. John obviously thinks at this point that pace will be the key difference though as Worrall is also a fast versatile winger.

Corner for Shrewsbury taken by Sean Goss driven to the front post but Vale clear it, but only back to him. Its then cleared from the right.

Brilliant play by Vale as they get the ball in the box, its headed backwards by Cullen to Jordan Archer who puts away his first Goal for Port Vale.For a team that does not play together that often they are showing great team work and appear to trust one another’s decision making.

Luke Mccormick with theatrics as he tries to put it in the Vale goal with a overhead kick.

Vale with a clearance off the line.

With 85 Minutes gone, Vale are having to absorb a lot of punishment, but are catching Shrewsbury out with the counter play.

Funny moment in the game when the Shrewsbury player has to go and collect the ball himself out of the paddock stand.

Shrewsbury are being kept at bay as they are only really able to take long distance shots.

The referee has added 4 minutes at the end of the match.

Corner in to the far side and bounced about cleared to Luke McCormick who slices it to the right of the goal. Real opportunity for Shrewsbury there and he knows he should have done better.

The referees whistle goes and Vale get the three points. A game that could have gone either way with both teams having chances to win the Game but Vale are the ones that took the chances.

Mark caught up with Vale boss John Askey, Mark might have got something wrong, but do you know what it was ?

Mike Stubbs
Mike Stubbs
Sports Reporter - Port Vale

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