Vale kick off their preseason campaign with a comfortable win over Kidsgrove as James Wilson gets his first goal for the club

Eden Bailey sealed the win in the final ten minutes after a solid display from the Valiants over the 90 minutes.

A slow start to the game with Kidsgrove having a lot of possession early on. Jake Twyford had the first real chance of the afternoon on five minutes but his shot from outside of the area was comfortably saved by Joe Collinge. The home side attacked two minutes later with Kyle Diskin on the right wing whose cross swung goalward and needed to be tipped over by Collinge.

After 20 minutes played the Vale trialist picked up on a loose ball outside the box and tried his luck but his shot was claimed by Kieran Harrison in goal. Six minutes later David Worrall committed a foul midway inside his own half but was then kicked out at by Kingsley Adu Gyamfi who was told to leave the pitch to be replaced.

The deadlock was broken on the half hour mark by new signing James Wilson. The Biddulph-born striker had the ball on the left flank and played a lobbed pass into the area which went over the head of goalkeeper Harrison and into the top corner for his first Vale goal. Two minutes later and Kidsgrove tried to answer back straight away with a strike from 30 yards plus, but Jake Twyford’s effort was way wide of the Vale goal.

On 34 minutes Twyford tried again from a shorter range this time but the end result was the same with it ending up in the stand. Four minutes later Collinge picked up a back pass inside the area giving Kidsgrove an indirect freekick. Fortunately, that error did not result in an equaliser as the Vale wall stood strong and blocked the shot.

Ten new players came on to start the second half for Vale. New signing Brad Jones was the first to try his luck in the second half, his strike took a deflection on its way into Kidsgrove’s goalkeeper Ryan Brown’s hands. Three minutes later it was Kidsgrove’s turn for an attack, Jake Lovatt’s effort looked promising but he could not hit the target.

Kidsgrove started the second half well and just before the hour mark Keiran Brown had an effort on target but was saved by Aiden Stone in the Vale goal. On 63 minutes Jake Taylor played a good ball through to Eden Bailey who brough the ball down well but in the end his shot went over the bar. The home side had a corner after 70 minutes, Kidsgrove trialist won the first header and Will Whieldon flicked the ball towards goal but it was easily cleared.

Two efforts for Vale in quick succession around the 75-minute mark. David Amoo received the ball from Tom Conlon but his shot went wide from a promising position. Conlon then tried an effort from way out but it just went over the bar. Two minutes later a great run from Amoo, beating two men with ease, but could not keep his shot on target.

Into the final ten minutes and Vale were looking for a second, Amoo’s ball to Conlon outside the area gave him a chance to make it two but his effort was saved by Brown. Two minutes later and Vale made the pressure count as they doubled their lead through Bailey after Mal Benning’s crossed was spilled by Brown back into the danger area. Bailey turned on the ball quickly to slot it into the bottom corner to make sure of the win.

Kidsgrove Athletic: (1st Half) Harrison, Byers, Bridge, Blake, C. Lovatt, Thorpe, Diskin, Hartshorn, Brown, Twyford, Adu Gyamfi

(2nd Half) Brown, Stubbs, Bromfield, Bergin, Whieldon, J. Lovatt, Cooks, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist

Port Vale: (1st Half) Collinge, Walker, Legge, Smith, Hurst (Dyer 12’), Worrall, Garrity, Rodney, Wilson, Lennon, Trialist

(2nd Half) Stone, E. Jones, Benning, Conlon, Martin, Taylor, Amoo, Chibaya