Cheltenham Town 3-2 Port Vale match report
Cheltenham Town 3-2 Port Vale match report: two late goals were not enough as struggling Port Vale suffered yet another poor defeat in 2021.
What did you think of the Port Vale performance? Share your thoughts and post a comment at the end of the article.
Manager Darrell Clarke again made changes to his side as he brought back striker Kurtis Guthrie while Zak Mills and Alex Hurst came in for injured wingbacks James Gibbons and Cristian Montano.
However, the Valiants once again suffered an awful start to a game as they conceded an opening goal which could have been easily avoided. Confusion between Zak Mills and Scott Brown allowed Alfie May to round the keeper and slot the ball home on thirteen minutes.
It got worse just four minutes later when the Vale failed to defend a cross and it reached Alfie May whose shot hit the bar and went in off the luckless Brown. With less than twenty minutes played it was already looking a hopeless task for Clarke’s side.
Vale had some half chances for Zak Mills and Tom Conlon but arguably Cheltenham could have gone into the break three goals to the good but Brown made up for his earlier error with a fine save from Hussey.
The break seemed to disrupt the home side more than Vale as the second-half became more of an even affair although Vale chances were still few and far between. Jake Taylor saw an effort saved before Clarke made a double substitution on 67 minutes bringing on loanee Will Swan and striker Theo Robinson.
It looked like game over on 74 minutes when the Vale defenders again failed to clear the ball and Liam Sercombe netted with a half volley. However, there was time for an unlikely late comeback. Firstly, the side ended a near six hour wait for a goal when Swan followed up a shot to poke home the rebound on 82 minutes. It was Swan’s first senior goal. Five minutes later, Vale scored a second when Theo Robinson’s shot was saved and Alex Hurst netted from an acute angle. It was Hurst’s first League goal for the Vale.
The Valiants tried to press in the closing stages and went close through a Luke Joyce effort but it was to no avail as the Vale once again finished on the losing side. There was at least signs of life at the death but these remain worrying times for the club as it edges closer to the drop zone.
Full-time: Cheltenham Town 3-2 Port Vale
What did you think of the Port Vale performance? Share your thoughts and post a comment at the end of the article.
Port Vale: Brown – Mills, Legge, Smith, Crookes – Joyce, Taylor (Robinson), Conlon – Hurst, Rodney, Guthrie (Swan)
Subs: Scott, Brisley, Cullen, Olagunji, Burgess
Stan Keeling
6th March 2021 @ 5:40 pm
Followed since the 60s ,but I have had it with the Vale I don’t want to spend another week of agony. So of course I wish them all the best but I resign , thanks for the memories.
Brian Emery
6th March 2021 @ 5:47 pm
Clarke once again changed team and system, I honestly thought Gannon would be our worst manager but Clarke is worse. Absolutely not a clue how to bring out the best in our players, they can play 4/3/3 but the manager will not accept this. Even with all our big players fit 4/3/3 is our best formation. Poor choice as manager by the owners and Flitcroft needs to be put in charge of team affairs asap. Players we have were good enough for top 6 let alone bottom 2 and if Askey had remained we would have been comfortable, injuries to top players hampered him. If we do not act quickly Clarke will take us down.
Ian
6th March 2021 @ 7:45 pm
Clarke has never achieved anything on his own been part of a three man team with Marcus Stewart and Dutton. Also with Salisbury and definetly his First promotion with Bristol Rovers he had the biggest budget in the league. This situation is very different
Bob Norbury.
7th March 2021 @ 12:52 am
I have said enough in the last few weeks. Things are certainly not getting any better because even though we scored two goals today we still got no points. The problem is that when you lose the ability to win it is very difficult get the winning attitude back again.
It’s very disappointing and just scraping the odd draw, but mainly losing, is certainly spoiling my weekends and some Tuesday nights. My wife thinks that I have become a miserable sod but that is because she doesn’t understand the disappointment that you suffer as a committed supporter.
Earlier in the season I thought that Vale had a good squad and was also very pleased when we finally signed Jake Taylor but things haven’t worked out as I thought they might.and I am now beginning to despair. I hope that Darrell Clarke’s presence soon begins to have some greater effect otherwise we will have some very serious problems.