Vale Xl beaten at Marston Road
Stafford Rangers 2 Port Vale 0
A Port Vale XI largely consisting of development squad players lost their final pre-season friendly at Marston Road against Stafford Rangers.
minute though. Sean Kinsella had a shot parried by Sam Johnson, but the rebound fell back to him and although he mis-hit his shot, the ball squirmed into the corner of the net.thVale made the early running when a Liam Chilvers punt forward was knocked down for Dominic Dell to shoot goalwards and his shot was gathered by former Vale ’keeper Jonny Brain. It was Rangers who took the lead in the 11
Kinsella then hit another shot that Johnson saved as Rangers began to get a grip. Ten minutes before the interval Gary O’Neill headed over from a Wilson Carvalho corner and Tom Morris had a shot blocked as the Vale sought an equaliser.
minute O’Neill was forced to limp off after a bad challenge from Peter Heler, who received a yellow card.ndThe second half began in bizarre fashion as the Rangers sub ‘keeper, Adam Alcock wore a yellow shirt and black shorts, exactly the same strip as the Vale, and played for ten minutes before being forced to change his shirt. In the 62
Dell almost capitalised when Alcock fell over the ball, but he recovered just in time. Kinsella hit a free kick that forced Johnson into a good save and then Stafford introduced sub James Askey into the fray, having also played against the Vale recently for Newcastle Town.
minute a Carvalho free kick was headed over the bar by Chilvers. The same combination went even closer soon afterwards, this time the header shaving the post.thIn the 68
Rangers made sure of the victory three minutes from time. Fabrice Kasiama, a constant thorn in the Vale’s flesh down the left, exchanged passes before unleashing a low shot from the edge of the box that nestled into the bottom corner of the net.Almost immediately Dell headed just over, but it wasn’t the Vales night.
- Brain, Swetnan, Davies, Spittle, J.Johnson, Carr, Porter, Kinsella, Quinn, O’Connell, Kasiama Stafford Rangers
Subs – Heler, Langston, Whieldon, Bell, Askey, Alcock
– S.Johnson, Price, Chilvers, Morris, Jefford, Carvalho, Tambini, O’Neill (Wright 62), Lloyd, Hugill, Dell Port Vale
Subs not used – Boot, Smith, Osborne
Match Report by Phil Sherwin