Port Vale 0 Leicester City 1
At Vale Park
Pre-Season Friendly
July 2013rdTuesday 23
Attendance: 1,894, including 372 visiting supporters
PORT VALE: Sam Johnson, Chris Shuker, Lee Hughes, Ben Williamson, Ryan Lloyd, Liam Chilvers, Cheye Alexander, Gary O’Neill, Tom Morris, Doug Price, Ben Jefford, Chris BirchallSUBS:Chris Neal, Ben Parker, Anthony Griffith, Chris Robertson, Matt Doumbe, Jennison Myrie-Williams, Chris Lines, Tom Pope, Gavin Tomlin, Kaid Mohamed, Louis Dodds.
LEICESTER CITY: Marko, Adam Smith, Jamie Anton, Jacob Blyth, Michael Cain, Joe DodooSUBS:Kasper Schmeichel, Ricthie De Laet, Paul Konchesky, Sean St Ledger, Wes Morgan, Zak Whitbread, Ben Marshall, Neil Danns, Jamie Vardy, Andy King, Martin Waghorn.
Despite the problems regarding injuries to a number of Vale defenders, they came out of the game suffering a narrow defeat to a decent Championship side who are expected to press for the play-offs this season.
Vale included two trialists in their starting line-up. Matt Doumbe agreed to help out Micky Adams out in the current injury mini-crisis with a second Vale appearance and Ben Parker came in at left back.
It was the home side who were enjoying the better of the early play, without testing Schmeichel in the Leicester goal.
GOAL: applied the finishing touch to roll the ball over the line for the opener.MARTIN WAGHORN minute when Wes Morgan picked the ball up midway inside the Leicester half and drove forward before slotting the ball through and thBut it was the visitors who drew first blood in the 14
Vale were certainly not too dispirited by the goal and kept pushing their Championship opponents back inside their own half whilst knocking the ball about well.
Leicester’s quality was obvious at times, but a hard-working Vale side, with a makeshift defence, managed to minimise the danger posed by Nigel Pearson’s men.
minute, outnumbered by four to three on the edge of the Vale box, but a timely interception by Doumbe halted the visitors’ threat.thThey were caught out in the 24
Leicester midfielder Ben Marshall had a golden opportunity to double the visitors’ lead when he found himself clear, but although his angled effort beat Chris Neal, it trickled wide of the far post.
Although Vale’s defensive frailties were exposed at times during the opening forty-five minutes, there were no further goals conceded by half time.
Micky Adams rang the changes for the second half, with the introduction of seven fresh faces to the Vale side.
On came Lee Hughes, Chris Shuker, Liam Chilvers, Ben Williamson, Ryan Lloyd, Chris Birchall and Sam Johnson.
Players rested for the second half were Louis Dodds, Tom Pope, Gavin Tomlin, Chris Lines, Kaid Mohamed, Jennison Myrie-Williams and Chris Neal.
minute when Jamie Vardy found himself in the clear down the Vale right. He cut inside and from a tight angle beat Sam Johnson, but also the far post.rdLeicester almost added a second in the 53
Seconds later Johnson did well to get down rather smartly to he left to keep out an effort from Waghorn as the visitors started to boss the game.
Lee Hughes hit a first time shot wide of the target at the other end, but Vale were not having a lot of joy inside the Leicester half of the pitch, spending much of the time concentrating on their defensive duties.
On saying that, Vale ought to have levelled the scores on 63 minutes when Chris Shuker threaded the ball through the eye of a needle to put Chris Birchall clean through, unfortunately, although he beat Schmeichel, he placed his shot the wrong side of the upright.
minute when Doug Price came on in place of Doumbe, who again had done well to last so long given the lack of training over the summer.thVale made a further change in the 69
minute Ben Jefford came on for Lee Hughes.thVale’s other trialist, Ben Parker, was substituted five minutes later, with Gary O’Neill coming off the bench to take his place and in the 86