Jake Taylor scored the only goal of the game at Gresty Road as the Vale secured their third successive win against rivals Crewe Alexandra, ending their eight game unbeaten run.
It was a cagey opening five minutes at Gresty Road with the home side starting on the front foot but failing to cause Vale any harm.
In fact, it was John Askey’s men who came agonisingly close to the opener after just six minutes. David Worrall whipped in a pin-point corner which was met by the head of Richie Bennett who saw his effort cleared off the line.
Bennett came close once again after 13 minutes as his attempted cross curled too far towards the goal, forcing Will Jaaskelainen to react quickly to stop the ball looping over him.
It was Crewe’s turn to go close just two minutes later, Charlie Kirk picked the ball up in space on the left, and crossed the ball into the box which missed everybody and bounced back off the foot of the post.
Moments later it was Paul Green who tried his luck from distance, but this time his effort sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
The home side began to dominate midway through the first period and some great football down the left side made its way to Kirk in space, however his effort failed to trouble Scott Brown.
It was the Valiants who fashioned the next chance, Worrall’s corner was headed out but only as far as Cristian Montano who hit the ball on the volley which sailed over the bar.
After some pressure from the Vale averted to nothing, Perry Ng broke swiftly down the right for the Alex but some expert defending from Legge and James Gibbons denied the home side any real opportunity.
Moments later it was Legge who was there once again to deny the Railway Men the opening goal. Tommy Lowery broke his way into the box and sent his shot goal-bound but the Vale centre-half was there to block and clear.
There was nothing to separate the sides going into the, both teams created chances but to no avail.
The second period began in similar fashion to the first with both sides trying to get a foothold, and it was Crewe with the first chance of the half when Kirk delivered a ball to the back post yet Green could only divert his header just wide.
Artell’s men were presented with a fine opportunity just minutes later as they were awarded a free-kick just outside the box, but Ng’s effort was well blocked.
This time it was Nathan Smith’s turn to put his body on the line after 58 minutes, as Ryan Wintle fired towards goal, but Smith dived in the way to block.
On the hour mark it was Vale who took the lead at Gresty Road thanks to Jake Taylor. The corner was whipped in from the right-hand side and Smith rose the highest heading onto the post, yet Taylor reacted the quickest and tapped home to give the Vale the lead against their rivals in front of the elated travelling Valiants.
It was Legge with Vale’s next chance, a free-kick was delivered deep into the box and Legge met it but couldn’t generate enough power to trouble Jaaskelainen.
Following the goal, Crewe tried to push on and find the equaliser and their next chance came in the form of top scorer Christ Porter who latched onto a cross from the right but headed well over.
Tom Pope, who was making his 300th appearance for the Valiants this afternoon, came agonisingly close to doubling his sides lead when his downwards header ricocheted off the bar and was eventually cleared for a corner.
With just over five minutes left on the clock, Worrall came inches away from scoring the Vale’s second of the afternoon as his low-driven shot across goal just flashed wide of the post.
Just moments later Brown kept his side in the lead as Porter once again rose the highest, but the Vale keeper got down excellently to make a vital save late on.
It was chances galore late on in the second period, and not just for Crewe. Askey’s men were not sitting back and this time the ball was floated into Amoo but he couldn’t divert his effort on target.
Crewe were piling on the pressure in the final few minutes, yet Taylor's goal was enough to secure all three points for Askey's men.
Line-ups
Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons, Joyce, Legge, Worrall, Montano (68' Evans), Smith, Taylor, Amoo, Burgess, Bennett (59' Pope)
Unused Subs: Maddison, Browne, Brisley, Archer, Cullen
Crewe Alexandra: Jaaskelainen, Ng, Pickering, Wintle, Nolan, Porter, Kirk, Ainley (66' Dale), Green (76' Anene), Hunt, Lowery (82' Jones)
Unused Subs: Richards, Finney, Johnson, Adebisi