Southend United 3-0 Port Vale
Defender Clayton McDonald was sent-off as Southend ran out comfortable winners in Saturday’s League Two encounter at Roots Hall.
Micky Adams took a much reduced squad to the south coast and made three changes to his line-up with Chris Martin, Clayton McDonald and Sean Rigg coming into the starting eleven. Rookies Sam Johnson and Kingsley James were named on the bench.
McDonald joined Owen and McCombe in a back three that was disrupted by an early injury to Lee Collins which saw Louis Dodds enter the fray.
By then Vale were 2-0 down thanks to goals from Phillips and Dickenson. And by 55 minutes, it was game over as Gareth Owen’s own-goal made it 3-0 to Southend
On 63 minutes, Kingsley James made his Vale debut replacing Owen. But minutes later McDonald was sent-off for a second bookable offence reducing Vale to ten men.
Vale: Martin, Yates, McCombe, Owen, McDonald, Collins (Dodds), Griffith (Morsy), Loft, Rigg, Pope, Richards
Subs: Johnson, Williamson
Attendance: 5,269