Miller starts and Rawlinson scores but Vale lose to Shrews
Ricky Miller made the first appearance of his Vale career and Connell Rawlinson scored his first goal but Vale still succumbed to a 4-2 home defeat to Shrewsbury Town.
The Valiants gave a long-awaited start to summer signing Miller who lined-up alongside Tom Pope. The visitors Shrewsbury included former Vale skipper Doug Loft in their side.
Miller had a lively start causing the Shrews defence problems in the early stages. There were chances for Pope and Dodds but Vale’s opener came from an unlikely source as Connell Rawlinson scored on the half-hour mark.
However, the visitors soon took the lead as a quickfire double of goals from Shaun Whalley and Aaron Amadi-Holloway on 36 and 38 minutes put them ahead at the break.
Vale made a couple of changes at the interval but Shrewsbury stretched their lead as Amadi-Holloway added his second five minutes into the second-half. Vale soon made it 3-2 as Tom Pope scored on 63 minutes but the visitors then scored their fourth on 84 minutes through Lenell John-Lewis.
That goal concluded the scoring as Vale went down to another friendly defeat but with the main positive being the long awaited playing debut of Ricky Miller.
Vale: Brown, Legge (Gibbons), Smith, Rawlinson, Hannant, Joyce, Oyeleke (Worrall), Dodds, Montano (Vassell), Miller (Quigley), Pope
Subs: Hornby, Kay, Pugh, Kanu, Tonge
Attendance: 996 (183 visitors)