Our second group game of the Papa John’s Trophy sees us welcome back Rochdale to Vale Park after recently playing them in early September.
Past five encounters with Rochdale: WWLWL
Our last home game against the Dale:
Sky Bet League Two, Vale Park, Saturday 4th September 2021: Port Vale 2-3 Rochdale
Jamie Proctor scored another brace but our unbeaten run came to an end with Rochdale claiming all three points.
Proctor opened his league account with two quickfire goals away to Forest Green Rovers and he almost got a third league goal on four minutes after David Worrall’s ball into the area found Ben Garrity whose first-time pass reached Proctor at the back post but his shot from close range whistled past the post.
With just nine minutes of the game played the Valiants took a deserved lead through, the man in form, Proctor as he guided home a Nathan Smith cross with a header into the roof of the net.
Ten minutes later and Rochdale equalised against the run of play as Jake Beesley beat Aaron Martin in the air to a cross and headed the ball into the left corner of the net to bring the Dale level.
The game flipped on its head after that goal and Rochdale looked the more threatening as Beesley went close again with a header on 39 minutes but this one was straight into the arms of Lucas Covolan.
Rochdale took the lead eight minutes after the restart, a carbon copy of the first. The ball into the area found Beesley who again headed home to put the visitors in front from close range.
However, six minutes later the Valiants were back level thanks to Proctor again. Tom Conlon won the ball high up the pitch and laid it off to Proctor who took on his man and smashed it into the net.
Nine minutes from time and the Dale retook the lead, a superb ball found Corey O’Keefe in the area and he slotted the ball past Covolan to make it 3-2.
Port Vale: Covolan, Jones (46’ Cass), Smith, Worrall, Garrity, Wilson (62’ Walker), Conlon (46’ Rodney), Benning, Proctor, Martin, Pett
Subs not used: Stone, Amoo, Politic, Lloyd
Rochdale: Coleman, O’Keefe, McNulty, Taylor, O’Connell, Dooley (76’ Broadbent), Morley, Beesley, Newby (84’ Grant), Keohane, Odoh (67’ Cashman)
Subs not used: Lynch, Done, Andrews, Kelly
Classic Encounter:
Division Four, Vale Park, Saturday 19th March 1983: Port Vale 4-0 Rochdale
Vale’s two new signings, striker Jim Steel and loan midfielder Mark Lawrence made their debuts after manager John McGrath had received the Manager of the Month award for February.
The game came to life in the 23rd minute when Geoff Hunter was brought down in the area by Brian Greenhoff.
Bob Newton’s penalty was pushed round the post by future Vale goalkeeper Chris Pearce but the resulting corner from Russell Bromage went straight into the net to put Vale ahead.
The Valiants were having most of the play and Newton had a headed goal ruled out for offside, but the Vale doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when a shot from Hunter was turned into the net by Newton.
Two minutes later Newton scored again from a Lawrence cross and Vale completed the scoring six minutes from time when a Hunter cross was swept home by Newton, completing a 12-minute hat trick.
Port Vale: Siddall, Tartt, Bromage, Hunter, Sproson, Cegielski, Fox, Steel, Newton, M.Lawrence, Armstrong
Sub not used – Moss
Rochdale: Pearce, Greaves, Snookes, Farrell, McElhinney, Taylor, D.Thompson, B.Greenhoff, Weir, J.Greenhoff, Hilditch
Sub not used – S.Thompson
Attendance: 5,129