REPORT: Vale v Northampton
League One
At Vale Park
Saturday 10th November 2016
Port Vale v Northampton Town
Attendance 4,379 including 451 visiting supporters
Despite a decent display by Bruno Ribeiro’s men, it was former boss Rob Page who went away the happier of the two managers when his side took all three points with a 2-1 win at Vale Park
minute but Vale got back into the game when Ryan Taylor hit the equaliser from an awkward angle early in the second half.ndCobblers’ defender Gabriel Zakuani gave the visitors the lead in the 22
minute tap in for Paul Anderson and Rigino Cicilia’s stoppage time for the Vale counted for nothing.thBut when Northampton’s Sam Hoskins was allowed to turn in the box and fire home, Vale had no answer and the visitors rubbed salt in Vale’s wounds with a 90
Vale went with an unchanged starting eleven following their convincing FA Cup victory the previous weekend, despite the return from suspension of Kjell Knops and Sam Hart.
The two of them had to be content with a place on the Vale bench, as Vale faced up to former boss Rob Page for the first time since he departed Vale Park in the summer.
part in the game saw them looking threatening too. Vale started off looking hungry to continue their success in their last fixture, but the visitor’s determination to play a
It was almost a battle of wills between the two sides, with the two of them equally determined not to give anything away, but it was Vale who went close after 8 minutes.
Sam Kelly, looking confident on the ball, pushed forward, taking on the visitors before pushing the ball left for Anthony de Freitas, who crossed into the box for Alex Jones to try his luck with a stooping header which wasn’t too far off target.
There was to be no room for complacency, however, and the Cobblers almost hi Vale hard at the other end, but for Jak Alniwck blocking a close range effort from Alex Revell.
The pairing of two experienced strikers in former Vale striker Marc Richards and Alex Revell was always going to prove a stern test for Remie Streete and Nathan Smith, but they appeared to be coping well.
GOAL: who unlocked the Vale defence midway through the first half, beating Jak Alnwick from close range to put Northampton in front.ZakuaniGabrielBut it was Cobblers’ defender
He got on the end of Matt Taylor’s cross from the left to plant a header in the bottom left corner of the net, giving the Vale ‘keeper no chance of get to it.
Vale responding positively, with the full backing of the home crowd, but Cornell in the Northampton goal didn’t have too much to do, despite of Vale’s attacking threat.
Vale fans were calling for a red card to be shown when former Vale loanee Jak McCourt appeared to show his studs going into a tackle which left midfielder Paulo Tavares rolling around in agony. Instead, McCourt was shown a yellow.
Vale continued to look threatening, but by half time, the equaliser they craved hadn’t materialised, though there were promising signs from their attacking play.
Sam Kelly went through the visitors’ defence like a hot knife through butter almost right from the kick off in the second half, taking the ball from just inside his own half.
He went to ground inside the Northampton box, appealing for a penalty, but the referee was well positioned and he waved play on.
Remie Streete then made an important and timely block at the other end, throwing himself in the way of a Marc Richards shot after the striker had been given time to control the ball.
GOAL: appeared to lose control the ball inside the box, but it fell kindly for him and he made no mistake, firing through a sea of bodies from a difficult angle.RYAN TAYLOR minute when ndVale deservedly levelled the scores in the 52
Vale made a change on 62 minutes when they took off Sam Kelly, who looked to be enjoying himself, and replaced him with Gezim Shalaj.
It was the home side who were the dominant side in the second period, with Rob Page’s side having to rely largely on the break and Vale played them deep inside their own half.
minute Marc Rishards got in behind the Vale defence, looking suspiciously like he may be offside, but there was to be no flag from the referee’s assistant.ndIn the 72
Jak Alnwick sprinted off his line to make an important block and the loose ball was hit with no power, allowing Nathan Smith to clear Vale’s lines.
If any complacency had been creeping in when Vale were well on top, this was certainly a wake-up call that full concentration was needed by the home side.
GOAL: was allowed the run sharply inside the Vale box and hammer the ball into the net from 6 yards.Sam HoskinsIt seemed Vale didn’t take notice of the warnings and on 72 minutes
minute, throwing on a third striker in the form of Martin Paterson, with midfielder Paulo Tavares the man to make way.stVale made a change in the 81
GOAL: from netting his side’s third from close range when he was first to the loose ball.Paul Anderson minute Vale wre caught napping when Alnwick was called into action to make two close range saves but he couldn’t prevent thIn the 90
GOAL: was on the mark from close range, but it was too little too late for the Valiants.RIGINO CICILIATwo minutes into stoppage time Vale pulled a goal back when
Adam Smith, Lawson D’Ath, Joel Byrom, Kenji Gorre, Harry Beautyman, Raheem Hanley, Rod McDonaldSUBS: David Cornell, David Buchanan, Paul Anderson, Gabriel Zakuani, Marc Richards, Alex Revell, Jak McCourt, Sam Hoskins, Aaron Phillips, Lewin Nyatanga, Matt Taylor NORTHAMPTON TOWN:
Miguel Santos, Kjell Knops, Martin Paterson, Chris Mbamba, Gezim Shalaj, Sam Hart
SUBS: Jak Alnwick, Ryan Taylor, Remie Streete, Kiko, Nathan Smith, Paulo Tavares, Sam Kelly, Sebastien Amoros, Anthony de Freitas, Rigino Cicilia, Alex Jones. PORT VALE: