Match report: Cheltenham Town 5-1 Port Vale
The Valiants went down to an awful away defeat to Cheltenham Town on Saturday with the only bright spot being Tom Pope’s sixteenth goal of the season.
Manager Neil Aspin made two changes bringing Anton Forrester and Danny Pugh into the starting eleven.
Vale started the first-half brightly but it was the home side who took the lead when top-scorer Mohamed Eisa found the target.
However, Vale levelled when Luke Hannant broke forward and was fouled in the box. Tom Pope made no mistake from the spot to score his sixteenth goal of the season.
It looked like it would be level at the break but hesitant defending saw Mohamed Eisa given free reign to re-take the lead for the home side.
The Valiants were on top during the second period but the game was sealed when Whitfield lost the ball and Cheltenham sub Elijah Adebayo put the ball past Lainton. To compound Vale’s woes, Antony Kay picked up his tenth booking of the season and will now be suspended.
It could have been even worse as the home side then hit the bar. Aspin brought on Callum Howe for his senior debut in the closing stages but the Valiants were powerless to prevent Mohamed Eisa from completing an excellent hat-trick on 79 minutes. The home side then rubbed salt into Vale’s wounds with a fifth from a corner in the closing stages.
It means Vale are still without a win in 2018 and are moving closer and closer back into the League Two relegation zone.
Vale: Lainton, Gibbons, Smith, Raglan, Pugh, Worrall, Kay (Howe), Tonge (Whitfield), Hannant, Forrester (Wilson), Pope
Subs: Boot, Montano, Howkins, Harness,