Port Vale 0-2 Cambridge United – awful Valiants are well beaten at home
A dreadful, disjointed and toothless display by the Valiants saw them comfortably beaten by relegation strugglers Cambridge United on April Fools Day.
The Vale made just one change from the side who performed so well at Portsmouth (Forrester coming in for Benning) but this was a completely different performance from Darrell Clarke’s side.
A first-half of low quality saw Vale dominate the opening stages but without threatening the Cambridge goal with any shots of note. The best chance fell to Funso Ojo who was sent clear by Tom Conlon but he put his effort over.
The visitors rallied in the second part of the half and had a succession of chances and a couple of penalty claims but it was goalless at the break.
Half-time: Port Vale 0-0 Cambridge United
However, it was a different story in the second-half as Cambridge scored a rapidfire double Ironically, it could have been Vale who took the lead. Good play from Conlon and Taylor set up Ojo but his shot was well saved by Cambridge keeper Mannion. Almost immediately, Cambridge attacked and poor defending allowed Sam Smith to score from close range. The visitors spurned another chance but Jones made it 2-0 on 52 minutes following more woeful Port Vale defending.
The Valiants huffed and puffed but it was Cambridge who came closest to scoring again with Sam Smith going just wide from a free-kick. The game ended to a chorus of deserved boos after a really poor home display from the Vale as the visitors comfortably recorded their first away win since October. For the Valiants this was nowhere near the standards needed for League One football.
Full-time: Port Vale 0-2 Cambridge United
Vale performance notes
This was a really poor performance by multiple Vale players. Aaron Donnelly and Sam Robinson’s inexperience at the back was particularly noticeable. I would only single out Tom Pett and Nathan Smith as putting in anything like an acceptable performance on an afternoon to forget for the Valiants.
Vale performance stats
Vale: Stone – Forrester (Massey), Smith, Donnelly – Worrall, Pett, Ojo, Conlon (Butterworth), Robinson – Taylor, Harrison (Wilson)
Subs: Stevens, Benning, Holden, Proctor
Vale bookings: Pett, Ojo, Forrester
Vale goals: none
Attendance: 6,730 (254 visitors)