Devante Rodney’s 80th minute goal was not enough for Port Vale to salvage a point at Stevenage, following a 2-1 defeat at the Lamex Stadium.
Rodney had brought Vale back to within one goal of parity in the latter stages of the game, but goals from Aramide Oteh and Danny Newton consigned the Valiants to defeat.
The Valiants were given an early scare just two minutes into the contest, when Tom Pett was played through on goal, but Scott Brown made himself big and blocked the Stevenage midfielder’s effort before Vale cleared.
And eight minutes later the visitors took the lead, when Aramide Oteh latched onto a ball on the edge of the box, before taking a touch into the area and firing the ball past Brown, to give Stevenage a 10th minute lead.
With 19 minutes on the clock, Brown was required to parry Danny Newton’s half-volleyed effort from outside of the box away, as the Valiants tried to find a footing in the game.
Two minutes later, Vale had their first opportunity of the game, when Cristian Montano’s effort from the edge of the box was fired just over Jamie Cumming’s crossbar.
Both sides had spells of possession throughout the rest of the half, but the best chance of the remainder of the half came with the last kick for the hosts, when the ball fell to Danny Newton in the box from a corner, but he miskicked his effort and the ball went wide of Brown’s post, with Vale trailing by a goal at the break.
But the second period of the game didn’t start well for Vale, as Danny Newton added a second to Stevenage’s tally in the 53rd minute, when a slipped ball through to the forward put him through on goal, before he was able to round Scott Brown and slot home into an empty net.
Brown did well to prevent Newton from adding a third for the hosts on the hour mark, charging down the forward and getting in the way of his effort, before Oteh hit the side netting from the follow-up chance.
Newton again went close with a header with twenty minutes remaining, before Jack Smith came close for the hosts, with a well-struck effort from outside of the box sailing just wide of Brown’s post.
With 13 minutes remaining, substitute Devante Rodney tried his luck from 35-yards, but his effort sailed just over Cumming’s bar, with the Valiants looking for a way back into the game.
And with ten minutes left, Rodney brought the Valiants to within one goal of parity, when he stroked the ball home with his left foot from the right-hand side of the box.
Theo Robinson’s volleyed effort inside the box was well tipped over the bar by Cummings, whilst Rodney’s long-range effort from the edge of the box was inches away from the back of the nett, with the Valiants putting constant pressure on the Stevenage defence in search of an equalising goal, as the game headed into stoppage time.
Port Vale: Brown, Clark, Smith, Brisley, Fitzpatrick, Oyeleke, Burgess, McKirdy (Cullen 52’), Montano (Rodney 60’), Worrall, Robinson.
Unused subs: Visser, Crookes, Hurst, Mills.
Stevenage: Cumming, Wildin, Hutton, Cuthbert, Prosser, Vincelot, Carter (Marshall 80’), Smith (Iontton 82’), Pett, Oteh (Effiong 89’), Newton (List 82’).
Unused subs: Johnson, Coker, Read.