Port Vale 5-0 Liverpool B – seven wins in a row at home as Vale cruise into knock-out stages
Port Vale 5-0 Liverpool B: the Valiants made it seven successive home wins as they cruised past a young Liverpool B side in the Football League trophy group stages on Tuesday evening.
Manager Darrell Clarke made multiple changes including starts for Danny Amos, George Lloyd and Dennis Politic, while youth teamer Kamani MacFarlane was named on the bench.
The Valiants cruised into a 2-0 half-time lead thanks to strikes by Lloyd and Politic. Liverpool had the first chance through the lively Gordon before a string of Vale chances resulted in the first goal. Politic had an effort saved before he set up Lloyd to head home on fourteen minutes to give the home side the lead. It was the striker’s second goal in two games.
Politic shot wide before he found the target on 25 minutes after a great through ball from Jake Taylor. There were further chances for Vale but Worrall, Martin and Politic couldn’t find the net.
Despite their two goal advantage, Liverpool’s youngsters still caused the Vale backline some consternation at times. However, with Jake Taylor arguably the game’s best player in the first period, a much changed Vale side were comfortable at the interview.
Half-time: Port Vale 2-0 Liverpool B
It took Vale just five minutes to stretch their lead in the second-half. Good work from Politic and Taylor set up Mal Benning for a deflected third. It was then pretty much one-way traffic. Leon Legge returned from injury to a good ovation and his header from a corner was poked home by Aaron Martin to make it 4-0. Taylor then got the goal his play deserved when he took advantage of sloppy defending to hammer home the fifth.
It was a good work-out for a much changed Port Vale line-up as the side now go into the knock-out stages. The Valiants will also bank £10,000 prize money before the draw, which will take place at Vale Park during Sky’s coverage of the Port Vale v Bradford City game. That’s ten goals in two cup games and seven straight wins at home – this is some run by the Valiants!
Full-time: Port Vale 5-0 Liverpool B
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Match stats
Port Vale: Stone; Cass (Johnson), Martin, Amos; Worrall (Legge), Garrity (Amoo), Walker, Taylor, Benning; Politic, Lloyd
Subs: Covolan, MacFarlane, Pett, Conlon
Port Vale bookings: None
Attendance: 2,349 (75 away)