A James Wilson second half brace ended Plymouth Argyle’s nine match league win streak at Home Park and secured a fantastic three points for the Valiants.
The league leaders had not dropped a point at home all season before Vale came to town, but our number nine ensured that run ended on Friday night.
Wilson opened the scoring and sent the Vale away end crazy with 25 minutes left in the match when Nathan Smith’s header from a David Worrall corner bounced off our striker into the back of the net.
The 27-year-old grabbed his second of the night six minutes later after Vale worked the ball brilliantly over to substitute Dennis Politic on the left-hand side.
Our number 33 then beat his man and drove into the box before firing a pass across the box for Wilson to slot home his second.
Darrell Clarke named an unchanged 11 from the side that beat Charlton Athletic 1-0 in our last fixture in the division.
Vale’s first chance of the game came after a Dan Jones long throw was cleared into the path of Dan Butterworth who fired a powerful strike toward goal from the edge of the area, but Michael Cooper managed to turn it around the post.
Butterworth forced Cooper into another save in the 12th minute after he cut inside from the left flank and saw a curling effort from close range held by the Pilgrims' number one.
The Valiants continued to pile early pressure onto the hosts, and Cooper was forced into another save in the 19th minute when Garrity drove into the box from the right-hand side and powered a low drive into his hands.
Plymouth’s first big opportunity of the match came just before the 30-minute mark when Morgan Whittaker managed to intercept a Vale pass and prod an effort toward goal, which Jack Stevens saved well with his legs.
The hosts nearly took the lead through Bali Mumba just before half time, however, after playing a one-two, the forward’s strike whistled inches past the right-hand post.
The last action of the first period was frantic, and somehow, the hosts didn’t take the lead after Mumba saw a deflected effort saved by Stevens before Ryan Hardie blazed over the rebound from close range when he looked certain to score.
Tom Conlon had the first opportunity after the interval for the Valiants when he latched onto a Mal Benning corner, however, his looping header fell wide of the post.
Niall Ennis spurned two chances to grab a goal back for the hosts in the 73rd minute, the first of those hitting the post from the edge of the area.
After Ennis’ initial effort, he then blazed over from close range after Joe Edwards produced a low cross into the area.
Nathan Smith was forced to clear the ball off the line with under five minutes left after the ball rolled agonisingly toward goal as the result of a goalmouth scramble.
Politic, who performed brilliantly after coming on in the 69th minute, came close to adding a third late on for Vale, but after running through on goal, he saw his effort beat away by Cooper.
The final chance of the match fell to Mipo Odubeko on the break, and after he raced through brilliantly, Cooper managed to hold onto his low-driven effort.
Plymouth Argyle | Cooper, Gillesphey, Houghton, Wilson, Edwards, Hardie (60’ Mayor), Ennis, Mumba (76’ Miller), Whittaker (76’ Cosgrove), Randell, Lonwijk (72’ Galloway)
Unused Subs | Burton, Butcher, Issaka
Port Vale | Stevens, Jones, Hall, Smith, Worrall (85’ Cass), Garrity, Wilson (85’ Odubeko), Conlon, Benning (82’ Forrester), Massey, Butterworth (69’ Politic)
Unused Subs | Stone, Holden, Pett