It would take the most rose tinted of Cambridge glasses to deny Vale the three points on a sunny afternoon at Vale Park. Despite an excellent first half display from Vale alongside a solid defensive throughout, it took a moment of individual brilliance to finally break the resolve of the visitors and move Vale up to tenth in the league this Saturday Evening.
As early as the first minute Vale started on the front foot, Bennett winning a flick on in the left hand channel setting Montano free to the by-line, he twist and turned, crossing low to the penalty spot where Bennett got a touch, but the Worrall overhead kick was straight at Mitov. More good work, a minute later, down the left found Bennett taking on the Cambridge right back, he managed to get a cross towards Amoo who met it sweetly with his head, but it flew narrowly over the bar.
An explosive first few minutes continued as Bennett broke free in the inside left channel, but he scuffs his shot and it was of little trouble for Mitov in the Cambridge goal. On eight minutes, a good cross from Worrall on the right, crossing to the back post found Bennett, but his looping header was gathered by Mitov.
On nine minutes, Vale won a corner, Worrall trotting across to take and he floated it to the back post but it was too high and floats out of play. Bennett had a bit of an injury scare on eleven minutes, seemingly picking up a knock but he looked to run it off throughout the half.
On thirteen, a lovely set piece from Vale found Joyce taking a quick free kick, freeing Conlon in the left-hand channel, he in turn released Montano down the left wing but his cross was poor and a good move ground to a halt.
It took the visitors until the twenty fifth minute to have their chance on the Vale goal and the visitors really should have taken the lead. A Vale mistake in the midfield allowed former Valiant Luke Hannant to run into acres of space, he stood up a cross around the penalty spot which Sam Smith glanced goal wards but is drifted wide of the keepers right upright, and Vale had a lucky escape.
On the half hour a great counter attack from Vale set Montano driving down the left, crossing towards a bevy of Vale players, Bennett gets something on it before dropping it to Worrall, it was a little under his feet, but he adjusted to get the shot away but Keeper Mitov gathered diving to his right.
A minute later, Vale win a free kick, thirty-five yards out, Worrall floating it in, Joyce winning the header at the back stick but Mitov stands tall and deflects it wide for a corner. Worrall fires the resulting corner over, but it’s cleared by the Cambridge defence.
On thirty-three, Vale win a further free kick in the right-hand channel, Worrall and Conlon standing over it, the latter taking a direct strike on goal, but it was comfortable for Mitov who took safely above his head. A minute later, Amoo is released down the Vale left and gets into the Cambridge box, beats his man and goes down, but referee Oldham waved away the Vale plea’s and it’s no penalty
Despite being on the back foot for most of the half the visitors did manage to fashion a chance on forty-four, a foul from Conlon Cambridge an attacking free kick. Hannant chipped it in to the back post, looking for Richards, but Legge is there to flick it away for a corner. Hannant swings the resulting corner over but Vale manage to clear.
Vale started the Second half much the same as the first creating their first chance on forty-nine minutes. Lovely play down the right between Worrall, Ammo and Conlon allowed Vale to get behind the Cambridge defence and Amoo fired across goal from the by-line, the ball being sliced over his own bar by Davies and the U’s continued to keep Vale out.
Good work from Conlon on fifty-nine, winning the ball in the midfield freed up Amoo and Worrall down the right wing, Worrall trying to find Bennett at the back post, but it was too close to Mitov who claimed easily.
Cambridge though won their first Corner on sixty-one, a floated effort to the back post, Legge doing well to glance the ball away, before Brown tided well, rising above his defence to claim.
On sixty-five, loanee Taylor came on to make his Vale debut as Montano made way for him. Though the half had become a little scrappy, it was Vale that won the next corner through Worrall down their left. Worrall crossed it in, it was indivertibly flicked on by a Cambridge defender but the U’s again scrambled it clear.
By now all hopes of a Cambridge push had been extinguished, Vale pushing forward in waves, attack after attack but there seemed to be a lack of cutting edge and final product. On seventy-nine, Vale won a further corner after a cross from Worrall was scooped behind, Worrall again taking but keeper Mitov claimed with ease above his defence.
It was going to take a moment of magic to break the deadlock and didn’t Amoo just provide it. He picked the ball up 25 yards from goal in the right inside channel and drove into the box, beating three defenders, and getting to the by-line driving the ball across goal, Bennett seemed favourite to apply the finishing touch but defender Davies lunged in and could only fire the ball into his own net.
Vale though were lucky to keep that lead as the clock ticked into the last minute, Knibbs really should have made it 1-1. Good work down the right, the ball being crossed to Knibbs, unmarked at the back post, drove his header down and back across goal but the pitch came to Vales rescue as it bounced over the bar and into the Hamil End.
That was as good as it got for the Visitors as Vale calmly saw out the five minutes injury time at the end of the game and picked up the three points to take them above todays visitors in the league.
