Port Vale 1-0 Derby County
Port Vale 1-0 Derby County
Attendance: 1,198 (120 Visiting)
It was a good start to the game for much changed Vale side, with the better of opening exchanges coming for Bruno Ribeiro’s side.
Quentin Pereira, who came in for his first start, looked to get on the ball early and was key to the two opening chances.
A free-kick which Martin Paterson flicked wide and a ball through to Anton Forrester saw a positive start for the Frenchman.
From then, a lot of the Valiants play seemed to come down the right side, with Chris Mbamba and Ben Purkiss causing problems.
Purkiss tried his luck from distance and had the Derby ‘keeper worried, but his effort went over the bar.
The defender then was pivotal to Vale’s best chance of the game as he found debutant Kiko, unmarked in the box, but the defender couldn’t knock it past Ravas in the opponents goal.
The visitors then had their best chance of the first half when Alefe Santos was through on goal and he tried to go past Alnwick and get a shot away, but he fired wide.
There was then a worrying sign for Vale fans, as Sam Hart, on loan from Liverpool, was seemingly taken off injured and replaced by Nathan Ferguson.
Just before the half time whistle, Vale had a strong appeal for a penalty when Anton Forrester was brought down in the area, but the referee waved it away.
After the break, Vale almost broke the deadlock as Forrester picked out his striker partner Paterson in the box, but he headed over from close range.
And it was the new signing who almost scored ten minutes later as he picked the ball in the box and worked to open up space to get a shot away, but Ravas saves.
The striker was having a busy nigh and this time he latched on to a poor clearance from the ‘keeeper and he tries his luck from 20 yard, but Ravas is able to save.
This time it was Nathan Smith who had a chance on goal, the defender got his head on the ball, but Ravas tipped over from a Pereira corner.
But Smith didn’t let Ravas get a hand on it from the next corner, in an almost take two, Nathan headed past the ‘keeper to make it 1-0 Vale.
Line-Ups:
Port Vale: Alnwick, Purkiss, Smith, Streete, Hart (Ferguson 39’), Mbamba (Turner 81’), Pereira, Amoros, Kiko, Paterson, Forrester (Cicilia 57’)
Subs: Boot, Mac-Intosch, Haughton, Ferguson, Gibbons, Cicilia, Turner
Derby County: Ravas, Hanson, Rawson, Babos, Cover, Guy, MacDonald, Santos, Stabana, Vernam, Wassall (Gordon 70’)
Subs: Barnes, Gordon, Jakobsen, Walker, Bogle, Cresswell, Thomas