Exeter City 4-0 Port Vale match report – Valiants well beaten in first away game
Exeter City 4-0 Port Vale – Darrell Clarke’s Valiants side were well beaten by the Grecians in their first away match of the season.
Defender Sam Robinson was handed his first start of the season while Clarke also kept faith with 17 year-old Tommy McDermott.
It was a fairly even affair until the home side took the lead through a long-range effort from midfielder Harry Kite on 24 minutes.
Thirteen minutes later, it looked game over for the Valiants as Sam Robinson was deemed to have fouled in the box although Vale fans were convinced it was a dive. Jevani Brown made no mistake from the spot to double the home side’s lead.
Robinson tried to make amends with Vale’s best effort of the half which was saved by keeper Jamal Blackman.
After a disappointing first-half display, Clarke ran the changes at half-time with Tom Conlon, Rory Holden and Thierry Small all introduced, the latter for his Vale debut.
However, it was to little avail as the Grecians scored twice more in the second period. Sam Nombe should have made it 3-0, but he fired wide when clean through. However in the 72nd minute, he turned provider by crossing for Brown to calmly slot in his second of the game.
Nombe then added the fourth in the 75th minute, turning and finishing from close range from a long Alex Hartridge throw, and it could have been more with substitute Josh Coley missing two good chances.
It was a chastening defeat for the Valiants who will no doubt redouble their efforts to strengthen their squad ahead of the transfer deadline.
Full-time: Exeter City 4-0 Port Vale
Match stats
Port Vale side: Stone – Cass, Smith, Hall – Robinson (Jones), Garrity, Ojo, Charsley (Conlon), Benning (Small) – McDermott (Holden), Proctor (Pett)
Subs: Forrester, Hussey
Vale bookings: none
Vale goals: none
Attendance: 6,701
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