REPORT - Vale v Posh
League One
At Vale Park
Saturday 4th February 2017
Port Vale v Peterborough United
Attendance 4,259 including 270 visiting supporters
A 20th minute strike from Marcus Maddison and two late strikes from Junior Morais was enough to see Peterborough United inflict a home defeat on the Vale, who, despite a spirited second half display couldn’t find that all important equaliser.
Maddison had seen his spot kick superbly saved by new Vale ‘keeper Leo Fasan barely a minute earlier, but he made amends when he was allowed to drift in from the Vale left much too easily.
Vale looked to be struggling to have any impact on the game, but will take heart from a much better second half performance, though they didn’t give Posh ‘keeper Luke McGee too much to do.
Michael Brown made two changes for the visit of Peterborough United, two of them enforced after ‘keeper Jak Alnwick and midfielder Anthony Grant had both been sold earlier in the week.
In came Leo Fasan and Olamide Shodipo for their debuts, and they were joined by Sam Foley, making his first appearance after injury, while Grant was named in the Peterborough line-up.
There was more good news for the Valiants as Nathan Smith, who was forced off with a tweaked hamstring in Vale’s previous fixture, at Scunthorpe, was deemed to be fit and he started in the heart of the Vale defence.
Vale started the game brightly enough but any notion that they might have things easy were soon dispelled with the visitors determination and ability to get forward quickly.
Nathan Smith received a yellow card after bringing down Marcus Maddison 25 yards from the Vale goal, but Grant’s poor free kick ensured the visitors were unable to benefit.
Vale went close when Anthony de Freitas fed Olimide Shodipo on the left. The winger cut inside onto his right foot and curled a shot which just flew wide of the far post.
Vale had a let off in the 18th minute when Peterborough were awarded a penalty after Callum Guy was adjudged to have brought down Tom Nichols inside the box.
Maddison decided to take the spot-kick, hitting the ball low to Leo Fasan’s right, but the ‘keeper got down well and with a firm hand, pushed the ball away.
GOAL:Just a minute later, however, Maddison had the last laugh when he was allowed to cut inside from the right before unleashing a low drive past Fasan and into the net for the opening goal.
Vale were struggling to put their ideas into action and rarely troubled the home defence, with the visitors looking the more likely to find the next goal.
JJ Hooper made room for a shot for himself after whipping the ball off the toes of former team mate Grant, but his 25 yard effort flew high over the crossbar.
There was a let off for the Vale in the 43rd minute when Tom Nichols was gifted a chance to double the visitors’ lead, but with just Fasan to beat, he completely mis-hit his shot and Vale were able to clear the danger.
Vale needed to do a lot if they were to turn things around in the second half, but it was Peterborough who started the second forty-five looking the stronger of the two sides.
The home side began to press hard, however, and the visitors did well to block several shots with Vale looking like the breakthrough was finally in sight.
This was more like what the supporters had been demanding and they responded accordingly, urging the team on.
Vale made their first substitution midway through the second half, Callum Guy making was for another debutant in the form of Danny Pugh.
And four minutes later Michael Brown introduced more experience in the shape of Chris Eagles, with winger Olimide Shodipo making way.
Eagles almost made an immediate impact when he managed to get in a low shot from all of 30 yards, which rolled inches past Luke McGee’s left upright.
Danny Pugh was certainly having an effect on things too, calming things down when is called for a cool head, and he too threatened with a shot from distance.
A third change in the 83rd minute saw Vale sacrifice a midfielder for a forward, when Anton Forrester came off the bench for Anthony de Freitas.
GOAL:On 90 minutes the visitors made sure of the three points when substitute Junior Morais hammered the ball past Fasan to finish off any hopes Vale had of earning a point.
GOAL:In the fifth minute of stoppage time things got even worse for the home side when Morais grabbed his second and his team’s third to wrap up a good afternoon’s work from the visitors.
PORT VALE:Leo Fasan, Ben Purkiss, Remie Streete, Nathan Smith, Scott Tanser, Anthony de Freitas, Callum Guy, Sam Foley, Olomide Shodipo, JJ Hooper, Tyler Walker. SUBS: Ryan Boot, Kjell Knops, Rigino Cicilia, Chris Eagles, Danny Pugh, Prohouly, Anton Forrester.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED:Luke McGee, Michael Smith, Ryan Tafazolli, Gwion Edwards, Marcus Maddison, Dominic Ball, Craig Mackail-Smith, Leo Da Silva Lopes. Tom Nichols., Jerome Binnom Williams, Anthony Grant. SUBS: Andrew Hughes, Lee Angol, Paul Taylor, Mark Tyler, Brad Inman, Martin Samuelson, Junior Morais.