Match report: Port Vale 0-2 Coventry City
Port Vale’s 100% home record came to a limp end after a poor performance against Coventry City on Saturday.
Manager Bruno Ribeiro kept Sam Hart in the side but brought back Jerome Thomas as Kjell Knops dropped out. Michael Brown replaced the suspended Anthony Grant in the midfield engineroom.
After a quiet opening, Vale had the first chance as Hart’s free-kick found Jones but his effort only found the roof of the net. However, the visitors were largely on top with Agyei having a goal ruled out for offside.
Coventry’s pressure eventually told eight minutes before the interval as Sordell scored from ten yards.
At the break Forrester and Pereira came on for Brown and Thomas but sadly Forrester’s comeback lasted just eight minutes and he had to be replaced by Gezim Shalaj as Vale put two upfront. But despite the changes the game was too scrappy for Vale to put the visitors under any consistent pressure and the Valiants were grateful for safe handling from Alnwick as City tried to double their lead.
However, on 70 minutes Alnwick was finally beaten as Tavares lost the ball and Chris McCann’s fine effort put the visitors 2-0 up.
The result perhaps showed how much Vale were missing the influential Grant as the match meandered to a close with Vale unable to build up any sustained pressure on the City goal.
Attendance: 5,605