Report from our first pre-season friendly at Vale Park
Tuesday 19th July 2016
Pre-season friendly
At Vale Park
Port Vale 0 Nottingham Forest 2
Attendance: 1,594 including 464 visiting supporters
It is never easy to judge your team, or in fact new player, by their performance in pre-season friendlies, but Vale showed enough to leave the fans reasonably happy with what they had witnessed, despite the scoreline.
Vale played some decent passing football without seriously threatening the visitors’ defence during the first half, but there was plenty of movement.
minute, when he was finally called into action, diving to his left to keep out a well-struck 25 yard drive from Anthony de Freitas.thForest ‘keeper Dorus de Vries had little to do until the 36
GOAL: to plant a firm header into the Vale net.Matt MillsSimilarly, Jak Alnick had been largely a spectator for much of the game until four minutes after Vale’sopener, he came out hoping to collect a left wing corner taken by Jorge Grant, only for Forest defender
Vale made three changes at the start of the second half with Ben Purkiss replacing Mac-Intosch and in midfield Michael Brown and Sam Foley came on in place of Anthony de Freitas and Paulo Tavares.
GOAL: curled a 20 yard effort into Alnwick’s top left hand corner with 56 minutes on the clock.Britt AssombalongaThere was little the trio could have done to prevent Forest grabbing a second goal, however. With time to lift his head and take a look,
Vale went close three minutes later when Anthony Grant’s through ball was touched on by Chris Mbamba, but with the ‘keeper by now off his line, the ball bobbled the wrong side of the post.
With half an hour left to play, Vale then made several more substitutions with Ryan Boot, Nathan Smith, Quentin Pereira, JJ Hooper and Anton Forrester all called into action.
A low drive from Sam Foley saw Forest ‘keeper De Vries go full length to his right to push the ball around his upright, with the home side looking more of a threat.
JJ Hooper hit a form shot from the edge of the box after good work by Forrester, but De Vries was well position to make a catch to prevent Vale from pulling a goal back.
pushing his shot over the bar. Moments later the Forest ‘keeper was again called upon, this time reacting well to again deny Hooper,
PORT VALE: Ryan Boot, Anton Forrester, Dan Turner, Nathan Smith, Michael Brown, Quentin Pereira, Sam Kelly, Sam Foley, Ben Purkiss, JJ Hooper.SUBS:Jak Alnwick, Calvin Mac_Intosch, Adam Yates, Anthony Grant, Kjell Knops, Remie Streete, Jerome Thomas, Paulo Tavares, Rigini Cicilia, Anthony de Freitas, Chris Mbamba.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Eric Lichaj, Thomas Lam, Chris Cohen, Henri Lansbury, Oliver Burke, Dimitar Evtimov, Daniel Fox, Apostolos Vellios, Matty Cash, Jordan Smith.SUBS:Dorus de Vries, Matt Mills, Ben Osborn, Britt Assombalonga, Lars Veldwijk, Jordan Gabriel, Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Alex Iacovitti, Joe Worral.