Port Vale 1-3 Walsall: it was a rare afternoon to forget for goalkeeper Scott Brown as two mistakes from the veteran contributed to Walsall’s away victory.
Share your thoughts on the game: post a comment at the end of the article.
Stand-in manager Frank Sinclair made two changes to the starting line-up which saw Kurtis Guthrie start but an injury to Dino Visser meant youth team keeper Joe Collinge had to be named on the bench. There was no place in the squad for veteran Leon Legge but fit again James Gibbons was among the subs.
The Valiants had a horrendous start when a mix-up between Nathan Smith and Brown saw both hesitate and Walsall striker Elijah Adebayor had the easy task of stroking the ball home. It meant Vale were trailing just five minutes into the game.
However, Vale’s captain Tom Conlon was having a good game and threatened with a low drive but central striker Kurtis Guthrie was being starved of decent service on his full debut. However, the Valiants drew level on the half-hour mark when Tom Conlon’s fiercely driven free-kick went straight through Walsall stopper Liam Roberts. This clearly wasn’t a great game for the keepers.
It was level at the break but the visitors started the second period brighter and Adebayor netted his second of the game and sixth against the Valiants when he took advantage of some poor defending to nod home a cross at the far post on 52 minutes.
It got worse for Vale on 67 minutes with a horrendous third. David Fitzpatrick’s back-pass was missed by Brown and the ball went between his legs and into the net for a comical third.
The home side countered by bringing on Mark Cullen and a switch to 4-4-2 and although the sub did head home in the closing stages it was flagged offside.
The positive for the Valiants was the performance of captain Tom Conlon but there were far more negatives. The defence continues to look all at sea. Brown had arguably his worst game in a Vale shirt just when deputy Visser picks up an injury. There was not enough quality supply to Guthrie. Important players such as Devante Rodney, Cristian Montano and Manny Oyeleke remain injured. It was yet another defeat. This is turning out to be a most unhappy season for Port Vale.
Share your thoughts on the game: post a comment at the end of the article.
Port Vale: Brown – Mills (Gibbons), Smith, Brisley, Fitzpatrick – Joyce (Cullen), Taylor (Burgess), Conlon – Amoo (Hurst), Guthrie, Worrall
Subs: Collinge, Crookes, Bailey
Words fail me so far as this performance against Walsall is concerned. It was a real comedy of errors and frankly if we continue in this vein of form we will be tip-toeing to places like Eastleigh and Dover next season. I cannot imagine why the bosses are being so brutal as far as Legge is concerned and it certainly will not help to solve anything. Come on lads get a grip and play the kind of football that is within your capabilities.
The tension is such that you seem to be making a nervous wreck of Scott Brown. Players who had such ability earlier in the season cannot deteriorate so quickly. Please get a grip and start showing us the side of Port Vale which makes us proud to be loyal supporters.