Vale reserves record another victory
Wrexham 1 (0) v Port Vale 3 (0)
Wednesday 18 February 2015
At Colliers Park Training Ground
WREXHAM: Liam Sharp, Mark Carrington, Ross White, Blaine Hudson, Anthony Stephens, Dean Keates (Iwan Cartwright 55), Elliot Durrell (Lawson Okimeji 55), Sam Finley, Wes Yorke, Joe Williams, Johnny Smith.
SUBS NOT USED:Corey Roper, Adam Davies.
PORT VALE:Sam Johnson, Adam Yates, Aziz Dean-Conteh, Chekaine Steele, Lewis Bergin. Ryan McGivern, Enoch Andoh, Ryan Lloyd, Greg Luer, Achille Campion, Omar Haughton (Luke Lewis 67).
SUBS NOT USED:Calum Ferrie, Kyle Clarke, Jonathon Kapend, Mackenzie Faulkner.
It was a bright but very windy afternoon at Colliers Park and the wind made neat football a rare commodity during the first half. Wrexham were captained by Dean Keates who had a trial with Vale during his time at Walsall whilst the travelling Valiants, well there were more than 10 of us if you include Andy Porter and son, had a chance for a longer look at loanee Greg Luer in his first start.
Chances were few and far between in the first half with both ‘keepers having little real action to complete, the exception was just 2 minutes before the break as Wrexham’s ‘keeper came to win the ball at the edge of the area and the ball escaped his initial attempt to hold it and was then adjudged to have handled outside the box. Campion lined up to take the free-kick and he varied the routine from his 2 previous efforts for the Reserves that resulted in goals as this time it was dipping under the bar to the right hand corner of the net rather than the left. Unfortunately Sharp got across goal to fingertip it around the post, so it ended goalless at the turn-around.
, whose neat glanced header found the far corner of the net. Luer minute and this time Lloyd’s dead ball was met at the near post by thThe second period began with the wind having died down and more football was being played. The first action saw Campion brought down near the right hand edge of the box and the resulting free-kick from Lloyd evaded everyone to end up in the ‘keeper’s hands; though it was not long before Vale took the lead from a similar situation. This time Andoh was floored by Hudson as sped down the wing in the 54
minute as Luer hared down the right wing and his cross to the far post looked certain to be headed home by Campion, before a push in the back saw Campion fly past the ball with the referee waving play on. The home team were soon threatening again and this time it was Yates clearing a very dangerous situation.thWrexham then turned the pressure on the Vale defence and McGivern was on hand to block a shot after an attacker had beaten Johnson to a ball in the 6 yard area and then Johnson made a save from a powerful header. Vale should have added a second in the 66
brought the ball under control as it dropped on the left side of the box and then thumped it home to extend Vale’s lead. Vale had an escape a few minutes later as a foul by Dean-Conteh enabled a free-kick to be launched into Vale’s penalty area and Hudson rose highest to nod it back towards the far post and Smith just failed to get a touch as it went inches the wrong side of the post.LewisVale added a second with 19 minutes left as no-one in the central area of the penalty area could get a touch to a cross from Yates, but substitute
stoop to head home powerfully inside that near post. We were about to witness a rare event this season with a game that didn’t see Campion score and he tried to correct this with a 20 yard effort but the ‘keeper was able to collect without too much trouble as Vale consolidated second spot in the table after Wigan won yesterday to extend their lead to 4 points over Vale, but Vale have 2 games in hand. McGivernWrexham did pull a goal back with 10 minutes to go as Hudson hit a 25 yard screamer past Johnson and into the top corner of the net. To ensure there was not a nervous final period Vale went straight back to the other end and won a corner. Another Lloyd cross to the near post saw
LINDON ROBERTS - PORT VALE VOLUNTEERS GROUP