Port Vale made it three wins from their last five league matches as they overcame an in form Lincoln City 1-0 at Vale Park. Blackburn Rovers loanee Daniel Butterworth’s 67th minute strike was enough to give Vale the three points and move them above the Imps and into the top half of the table.
The Visitors started brightly but it was Vale that took control of the game on 10 minutes, Butterworth breaking through the lines running a good thirty yards before reaching the Lincoln area. The young striker fancied his chances and got a shot away, but it was blocked for Vales first corner which was tided up by Carl Rushworth in the Lincoln goal.
On 22 minutes, Vale created a sustained attack down the left, neat interplay between Mal Benning and Dan Jones amongst others allow a forward ball into Butterworth, the striker having an effort charged down, as was Mipo Odubeko’s follow up. Lincoln countered, three against three, progressing down the right before the ball was fired across goal, but is too far in front of House and the game remained 0-0.
On the half hour, the visitors might have done better after a mistake from Will Forrester gifted the Lincoln the ball on the edge of the Vale box but a scrambled defense did well, Benning blocking the final crossing opportunity for the Imps.
The best chance of the half though fell to Vale’s Odubeko on 36 minutes. Vale working the ball down the right hand side, Lewis Cass skipping round his defender, firing the ball across to Odubeko, who found himself unmarked, but the young forward snatched at his shot, the ball ballooning it into the stand when well placed to open the scoring.
Lincoln, have been outplayed for the majority of the first half, started the second half much brighter and on 50 minutes really should have taken the lead. Under no pressure at all, Jones tried a cross field pass that was intercepted by Jordon Garrick, the winger bearing down on goal but Jack Steven’s was up to the task making a fine save, the rebound falling to Matty Virtue but the midfielder could only strike the ball into the Hamil End.
As the game entered the final third, Vale wrestled back control and this was underlined perfectly when Vale took the lead on 67 minutes. Great build up play from Ellis Harrison found Odubeko on the edge of the box, the young striker shooting from the edge of the box. Rushworth did well down to his left to make a fine save but the ball broke loose and it was Butterworth who was the first to react and drilled the ball past Rushworth to put Vale in front.
Vale should have doubled their lead on 80 minutes, Benning reading a stray pass well before breaking into the Lincoln half, crossing towards Harrison who had run a perfect line between the centre backs, but the striker just couldn’t apply the vital touch with a diving header from 6 yards out.
As the game ticked over into added time, Lincoln fashioned a huge chance to steal a point as they drive down the right hand side, the ball coming across the six yard box but no red and white striped shirt can apply a touch and Vale survived to pick up the win and the three points.
