Stats: a draw for Vale’s youthful and inexperienced side is a tribute to their character
It is a tribute to their character that an inexperienced and youthful Port Vale team were able to get an away draw against Southend.
After using up their three substitutions, which included replacing veterans Danny Pugh and Jerome Thomas, the Vale team that finished the game against Southend must have been one of the least experienced to have featured in recent years.
It contained five players with less than ten Vale career appearances including debutant Billy Reeves (pictured above). Teenager Dan Turner also featured and was one of nine players aged 23 or younger.
Here’s how the Vale finished the game after making their three substitutions…
Vale finishing line-up
- Leo Fasan (23) 5 games
- Callum Guy (20) 7 games
- Nathan Smith (20) 39 games
- Ben Purkiss (32) 70 games
- Scott Tanser (22) 3 games
- Billy Reeves (20) 0 games
- Sam Foley (30) 69 games
- Sam Kelly (23) 48 games
- Dan Turner (18) 9 games
- JJ Hooper (23) 41 games
- Anton Forrester (23) 19 games
Average squad age: 23
Average Port Vale career appearances: 28