Match Report: Doncaster 1-2 Port Vale
Striker AJ Leitch-Smith made it into double figures for the season as the Valiants secured an excellent away win at Doncaster.
Manager Rob Page kept faith with JJ Hooper upfront and gave a debut to Matthew Kennedy on the wing. Michael O’Connor returned to the midfielder and striker Theo Robinson made the bench.
Kennedy made an immediate impression as he set up AJ Leitch-Smith to open the scoring after just six minutes. The striker scored his ninth of the season with a chip. While the Vale winger was causing Doncaster all sorts of problems, the home side should have equalised on the half-hour mark when Chaplow headed wide with the goal gaping.
The home side were forced to replace giant German goalkeeper Stuckmann at the break but nevertheless Rovers started the second period very brightly. Doncaster were piling on the pressure with even the reliable Alnwick flapping at one effort. But Vale hit Rovers with a sucker punch when great work by JJ Hooper set up Leitch-Smith for his second of the game and tenth of the season on the hour mark.
The Valiants then replaced the tiring Kennedy who had also been booked as they looked to close out the game. However, they had to survive an anxious final five minutes as a cross by Evina evaded Alnwick and went in to make it 2-1.
Despite that scare, Vale managed to survive the four minutes of added time as they secured a very welcome away win.
Vale: Alnwick, Yates, Dickinson, Duffy, McGivern, Grant, O’Connor (Inniss), Dodds, Kennedy (Foley), Hooper (Robinson), Leitch-Smith
Subs: Neal, Brown, Kelly, Purkiss