Gavin Massey provided the knockout blow for the Valiants as they took down Morecambe 1-0 on Boxing Day at a brisk Vale Park.

Massey’s special goal secured all three points for the Vale as we won our third successive Vale Park league fixture, after over a month away from Burslem.

Vale broke the deadlock in the 41^st minute through Massey’s fantastic long-range strike after a sweeping counterattack.

Jack Stevens started the move off which ended up at the feet of our number 19, who then provided a moment of magic when he drilled the ball into the bottom right corner from 25 yards.

The Shrimps had to finish the match with 10 men after their captain Donald Love was sent off for one too many challenges when he took out Mipo Odubeko on the break and earnt a second yellow card in stoppage time.

Darrell Clarke made five changes from the team that faced Salford City last week with Jack Stevens, Lewis Cass, Sammy Robinson, Rory Holden, and Massey all coming into the starting line-up.

The first real chance of the game fell to Jensen Weir when he broke free from midfield down the right flank before unleashing a powerful effort that hit the side netting.

Ellis Harrison was the first to test the Shrimps’ keeper when he managed to get on the end of a counterattack, but his effort from the edge of the area was saved by Connor Ripley.

Ripley was called upon again five minutes later, and this time he did well to scramble across to his right and tip a Ben Garrity deflected effort around the post.

Morecambe thought they had taken the lead moments before Massey’s goal, but Max Melbourne’s header came back of the post.

Massey nearly provided another moment of brilliance with 25 minutes remaining when he collected the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a brilliant curling effort that flew just over the bar.

In a half of few chances, the visitors came close to an equaliser late on through Adam Mayor when his shot from just outside the area deflected past the post.

Port Vale | Stevens, Cass (70’ Odubeko), Jones, Smith, Garrity, Conlon (88’ Wilson), Benning, Holden (58’ Pett), Massey, Harrison, Robinson (46’ Hall)

Unused Subs | Stone, Ojo, Butterworth

Morecambe | Ripley, Love, Melbourne, Gibson, Rawson, Delaney, Weir (73’ Stockton), Badeau (90+3 Connolly), Shaw, Phillips (80’ Watts), Mayor

Unused Subs | Smith, O’Connor, Gnahoua

Attendance | 7,867 (337 away)