It was a dream start to life back in League One as goals from Nathan Smith and Connor Hall cancelled out Fleetwood Town’s Dan Batty’s early effort to give Port Vale a rare ‘opening day’ win at Vale Park this afternoon.
Smith’s goal was the icing on the Cake as the young defender captained the side as he started his eighth season as a Vale player and Hall produced a man of the match performance adding an assist and a goal to a very impressive first appearance of the season.
The Valiants were punished for a slow start though as Fleetwood took the lead as early as the fifth minute. Good work down the attacking right allowed the ball to be played forward towards Promise Omochere, who got the better of Connor Hall, bursting into the area, before pulling the ball back towards the penalty spot where it was met by Dan Batty who stroked his shot into the left corner of the net giving Aiden Stone no chance in the Vale goal.
This only served to wake up the home side, Ben Garrity might have done better with his effort on twelve minutes and Jamie Proctor went close after quick thinking by David Worrall freed Harry Charsley, who turned his man and drove towards the byline. The midfielder hit the byline driving the ball across goal, Tommy McDermott flicking the ball towards his strike partner Proctor but the striker could only half-volley the ball wide of the left upright.
But Vale finally equalized on thirty minutes, Worrall taking a corner from the left, right footed, Lynch being forced to help the ball on its way under pressure from two white shirts. Defender Hall did well to recover the ball, before delightfully turning inside Omochere and firing the ball across the six yard box where it was met by the stand in skipper Smith who side footed it home to bring the Valiants level.
Vale took the lead moments later, two goals in two minutes, this time it was a corner from the Railway Paddock side of the pitch. Worrall this time pulled the corner short towards the penalty spot where Funso Ojo fired the ball into a crowd of shirts in front of the goal. It was Hall that reacted first, scuffing his shot, but it was more than enough to find the bottom left hand corner and give Vale the lead.
Fitness was clearly taking its toll in the second half and Vale actually came the closest to extending their lead when a mix-up between Toto Nsiala and Jay Lynch led the defender to push the ball past his own keeper but to the relief of the defender, the ball trickled past the left upright and only concede the corner.
Fleetwood though were left to rue a golden opportunity on seventy-five minutes when Harrison managed to run between the two centre backs to win a clear header from the right wing, but relief fell across Vale Park as the ball flashed past the left hand post for a goal kick.
Manager Darrell Clarke spoke to the press after the game,
“Yes, its just good to be back, try and enjoy our football and try and enjoy the league campaign. We know there’s going to be knocks along the way, but its nice to start with a win and thank you for the tremendous support we had today at the game.”
It was an excellent performance by the recently promoted side and it will leave them in good form as they travel to last season’s League Two runners up Exeter City, next Saturday.
