Whisper it quietly but this team is built to compete, that was the feeling circulating around the Lorne Street Stand as the Vale faithful left the stadium into the Spring Burslem sunshine and started to dream of not only the playoffs but sneaking into the top three even.
Vale started brightly and on four minutes registered their first effort of the game, the ball being won in the midfield and spread wide to the left through Mal Benning. The wing back took a touch before sliding the ball in the inside left channel to Harry Charsley who turned his man and released James Wilson in the box, the striker did get his shot away, but it didn’t trouble the Sutton keeper.
But that was only a warning of what was to come and just three minutes later Vale took the lead, Benning again was at the fore front of the action, his ball passed into the edge of the box, allowing a snap shot by Jamie Proctor, but in never reached the goal, rather it fell to James Wilson in the centre of the goal, his first effort was saved well by Dean Bouzains, but the ball fell again to the striker who bundled the ball over the line to give Vale the lead.
Vale continued to attack the Sutton goal, Vale winning a corner down the attack right on fourteen minutes, David Worrall hanging it up to the centre of the goal, Connor Hall getting a head to it but it looped up and Bouzains gathered with ease.
Vale doubled their lead on twenty three minutes, good build up down the right allowed David Worrall to pick out his cross, the ball was headed clear but only to a Vale shirt, the ball is fed back in, again its blocked clear but only as far as Jamie Proctor who took the ball on the perfect Volley, with an audacious Di Caneoesq scissor kick, right footed from the edge of the box into the roof of the Sutton net leaving the Keeper stunned and Vale two to the good.
The visitors chances were few and far between but on twenty-nine minutes, a long ball was pumped into the box from a long free kick, a Vale head wining the ball with Benning looking to clear but only succeeds in putting the ball back into the mix, Vale defend desperately as the ball drops to Eastmond, who fires at goal, but its wide of the right upright.
This effort served as a wakeup call for the U’s securing a flurry of corners for the visitors, but firstly Proctor and then Smith cleared with towering header’s, and the defense held firm.
Vale started where they left off at the start of the second half, with good crosses from both sides of the goal just failing to find a white shirt. Minutes later, Vale winning a corner down the right as Smith’s cross was deflected wide. Worrall sent the cross over as the Sutton defence scrambled the ball away only for Benning to win back possession, getting to the by line and squaring to Hall who got an effort away but over the bar and into the Bycars Stand.
On fifty-two minutes Vale were lucky to keep their two goal lead in tact as Stone came for a regulation catch but spilled it at the feet of the Sutton Striker, Stone’s blushes are spared though as Bugiei makes a hash of his effort and fires over the bar showing little if any composure.
On Seventy minutes the visitors had their best effort of the game, Joe Kizzi with a great header at the back stick following a free kick from distance, Aiden Stone scrambling across his goal but was thankful for the ball ricocheting not only off the Vale bar but to a Vale defender and Vale survive the scare.
As the game meandered towards its conclusion both teams utilised their subs but it was Vale that controlled the game throughout the final minutes and will now look forward to a week off and a winnable match away at Barrow next Saturday.
