Port Vale 2-3 Barnsley report – Shorrock takes scoring record but insipid first-half display condemns Vale to defeat

A succession of first-half mistakes at the back allowed visitors Barnsley to take all three points at Vale Park despite an improved display after the break. However, one record was set with sixteen year-old Jack Shorrock becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer.

Team news

Manager Andy Crosby once again left captain Nathan Smith out with Jason Lowe dropping into the back three. Youngster Rhys Walters was handed a start in midfield and Crosby also kept faith with Ryan Loft upfront. Ben Garrity was named as captain while youngsters Jack Shorrock and Ben Lomax were named on the bench.

First-half

It was effectively game over at half-time as Barnsley ran in three goals during a bitterly disappointing first forty five minutes at Vale Park. All three goals came from mistakes at the back.

Ironically, Vale looked bright in the opening minutes with Ryan Loft having a deflected shot and Alfie Devine putting a shot just over. However, three goals in twenty minutes saw Barnsley cruising at the break. The first arrived on seventeen minutes when nobody picked up Adam Phillips run into the box and he had the easy chance of heading past Ripley. Then a mistake by Jesse Debrah allowed Devante Cole to break and his cross was converted by John McAtee to make it 2-0 on 32 minutes. Five minutes later, McAtee robbed Ryan Loft as Vale dallied at the back and his long-range effort went over Ripley to put Barnsley three ahead.

By that point, Vale were playing to a chorus of boos with fans upset at negative play and continual backpassing. Vale did have the occasional chance – one Ethan Chislett volley was tipped over – but they remained vulnerable at the back, were badly missing Ojo and Arblaster in midfield and a cutting edge upfront.

The visitors had further chances for Cole and McAtee, who by some distance was the best player on the pitch, and Vale probably departed the pitch grateful to be only three goals down. They left to a chorus of boos from an unimpressed home crowd.

Second-half

The Valiants made two half-time changes with Uche Ikpeazu and James Wilson coming on for Rhys Walters and Ryan Loft. The Valiants thought they’d got a goal back early on when Chislett was found in the area but his effort was ruled offside. It was Vale’s best passage of play so far and lifted the crowd. There was a further long-range effort from Devine as the Vale looked an improved unit in the second period. However, despite the Valiants raising their game, the visitors still looked comfortable without threatening as much as they did in the first-half.

The Vale continued to try and play it around at the back with one passage of play almost ended in disaster as Ripley sliced his clearance. Another one saw the ball gifted to Kane but he missed his chance. It seemed Vale still hadn’t learnt from their first-half mistakes.

It was better in an attacking sense with Wilson sending Chislett in for an effort which went just wide. Chislett finally got his reward after good work from Garrity and Ikpeazu and he curled in his seventh of the season with twenty minutes to go.

The difference in the two sides saw Barnsley replace match-winner McAtee with Plymouth promotion winner Sam Cosgrove while Vale replaced Alex Iacovitti with sixteen year-old rookie Jack Shorrock. Both Shorrock and fellow teenager Lomax created chances for the Vale as the home side pressed and the team got a reward of sorts in injury-time.

It was teenager Jack Shorrock who headed home from close range to make it 3-2 in added-time. At the age of sixteen years, seven months and 28 days he overtook Clinton Boulton (17 years 110 days) as the club’s youngest-ever first-team goalscorer. Shorrock, also the club’s youngest-ever appearance holder, had another club record to his name.

It was clearly a much better second-half display by the home side. However, Barnsley still ran out winners and it was a chastening defeat with Vale their own worst enemies after that insipid first-half display. Oh well, at least it wasn’t seven!

Player notes

There were far too many anonymous performances in the first-half – Rhys Walters, Gavin Massey and Conor Grant to name just three. Ryan Loft put himself about more but lacked any goal threat. The same may be said of his replacement Uche Ikpeazu. Meanwhile the Vale defence looked vulnerable to breaks and always had a mistake or two in it. Probably the best performance in the first-half came from youngster Alfie Devine, albeit only in flashes.

In the second-half, Ethan Chislett impressed, he deserved his goal and linked up well with sub James Wilson. The arrival of the skilful Wilson certainly helped galvanise Vale in the second-half and a more attacking formation did cause the visitors problems at time. Captain Ben Garrity also put in plenty of effort but to little reward as he was playing in a more withdrawn position. Finally, a note on youngsters Shorrock and Lomax who, despite their lack of experience, had a couple of bright moments, especially that record-breaking goal by Shorrock, What a pity it was to no avail.

Closing thoughts

It was a classic game of two halves by the Valiants. If they’d managed that second-half display for the whole game who knows what the score would be? However, that’s the issue – this side are too inconsistent and arguably that second period showed the difference in having possession – it’s one thing to have it high up the pitch and pressing the opponents, it’s another to dally about around your own box and risk costly mistakes.

There’s plenty for the club to consider as they near the transfer window – too many injury prone players, a style of play which is negative at times, a lack of strikers, a thin squad, question marks over manager and director of football… there’s a lot for the club to put right and quickly!