Vale's first game of their tour of the south west
Vale completed the first pre-season game of their south west tour with a hard-fought, but in the end comfortable win in Devon against Plymouth Parkway.
Midfielder Chris Lines missed out with a sore ankle, but otherwise Vale had a fully fit squad to choose from against Plymouth Parkway at Bolitho Park.
minute, when he stopped to head out Levi Landricombe’s free kick at the expense of a corner.rdVale had central defender Ryan McGivern to thank for keeping the home side at bay as early as the 3
GOAL: minute After Tom Pope was brought down just outside the Parkway box. Pope complained bitterly to the referee but the man in the middle took no action apart from awarding the free kick.thVale then went in front in the 8
MARK MARSHALLstepped up and left ‘keeper Ben Elphick flat-footed with a superbly taken free kick to stun the home supporters positioned behind the goal.
Vale were having much of the play, as expected, with Marshall again proving a handful down the left flank, but the home side, confident and well-organised after winning the treble last season, gave a good account of themselves.
minute after playing a one-two with Marshall, but the ‘keeper managed to get in the way and Vale had to settle for a corner kick.thMichael O’Connor should have added a second for the visitors in the 19
GOAL: showed he can do a bit more than defend, grabbing his second pre-season goal in style.CARL DICKINSON minute when thBut there was no stopping Vale in the 24
The defender went charging up field through the middle, knocked the ball forward to Pope and carried on running as the Vale striker played it over his shoulder, and Dickinson lofted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.
Andrew Neal came close to pulling a goal back for the home side early on in the second half but couldn’t quite direct his far post header on target.
Vale made their first change when Richard Duffy limped off and Adam Yates came on to replace him at right back.
Micky Adams then made a double substitution on the hour with Chris Birchall and Ben Williamson replacing Michael O’Connor and Michael Brown.
The home side were having more of things in an attacking sense but were finding in difficult to penetrate Vale’s back line.
minute Ryan Lloyd and Colin Daniel coming on for Carl Dickinson and Tom Pope.rdVale made a further three changes in the 73
Ryan McGivern was unfortunate not to get on the score sheet when his half volley on the turn was blocked at close quarters by a home defender.
minute.stVale went on to create several half chances but were not able to make them count, before Vale made another substitution – Nathan Smith coming on for Louis Dodds in the 81
GOAL: was on the mark with an unstoppable 20 yard drive that left the home ‘keeper flapping.BEN WILLIAMSONTwo minutes later
GOAL: was upended in the box and he stroked the resulting penalty past Elphick for Vale’s fourth goal.RYAN MCGIVERN minute thLike buses, you wait a while for one to come along then you get two coming together. In the 86
PLYMOUTH PARKWAY:(From) Ben Elphick, Sam Hillson, Mike Landricombe, Gavin Coulton, Will Stringer, Luke Rundle, Paul Heveran, Jamie Bass, Dan Hart, Lance Bailey, Danny Lewis, Nick Rudge, Levi Landricombe, Andrew Neal, Ollie Critchlow
PORT VALE: Sam Johnson, Adam Yates, Colin Daniel, Ryan Lloyd, Nathan Smith, Ryan Boot, Ben Williamson, Chris BirchallSUBS:Chris Neal, Richard Duffy, Chris Robertson, Ryan McGivern, Carl Dickinson, Louis Dodds, Michael Brown, Steve Jennings, Michael O’Connor, Mark Marshall, Tom Pope.