There was no upset at Pride Park as a Port Vale side lacking any senior striker were comfortably beaten by Derby County on Saturday afternoon. The defeat leaves the club with an even tougher task in trying to avoid relegation.
Team news
Darren Moore had no fit senior strikers and several other players out injured, so it was a threadbare starting eleven containing sixteen year-old Jack Shorrock (pictured) while fellow former youth teamer James Plant made his first start since returning from injury. James Wilson, Ryan Loft, Tom Sang and Dan Jones were all out injured. Mitch Clark returned from his lay-off to make the bench.
First-half
Vale got off to a terrible start when Derby were allowed to get a cross in and a shot from Louie Sibley deflected off Lopata’s foot wrongfooting Ripley for the opening goal. It looked like being a long ninety minutes for the Valiants. There was a second chance for the home side on nine minutes when a corner was headed over the bar.
As Derby continued to pile on the pressure, Ripley pulled off two good saves in quick succession from Mendez-Laing and Bird. There was yet another chance for the Rams on fifteen minutes when Barkhuizen fired over when he should have scored.
With Derby dominating possession, it took thirty minutes for Vale to have a half-chance as Weir fed Massey whose pass across the box was cleared. It prompted the first period of Vale pressure in the Derby half.
However, it was 2-0 to Derby just before the break when a cross from the right was headed in by Dwight Gayle. It left the Valiants with a near impossible second-half task.
Half-time: Derby County 2-0 Port Vale
Second-half
Vale started the second 45 minutes with three teenagers after seventeen year-old Baylee Dipepa joined Shorrock and Plant. The Valiants forced an early corner and Garrity’s resulting header was inches wide.
However, it was game over on 58 minutes when Ward crossed and an unmarked Louie Sibley smashed the ball home. It was nearly four on the hour mark but Barkhuizen fired over.
There was a glimmer of good news for Vale as Mitch Clark returned from his long injury break but by then Vale were lucky not to have conceded a penalty as Ojo appeared to handle in the box only for the officials not to notice it. Perhaps they were taking pity on a desperately outclassed Vale outfit?
It was all Derby by this time and Mendez-Laing should have scored but he completely miscued with the goal at his mercy. It didn’t really matter as there was no chance that this Vale side would be able to come back from three goals down anyhow.
As the game reached the final fifteen minutes the only thing in doubt was how many Derby would score as they toyed with the Vale defence. The Valiants were chasing shadows, creating no chances and looked a really poor outfit. There was a chance of a late consolation when Garrity, through sheer persistence, muscled his way to a shooting opportunity but it went wide.
There was pretty much nothing positive for Vale to take from this game. The gap to safety has increased, the side looks devoid of confidence, too reliant on untested teenagers to fill the gaps and crucially lack any sort of forward threat. There was precious little fight and a defeat looked inevitable as soon as Derby scored. There may still be twelve games left, but barring a miracle, relegation looks highly likely.
Full-time: Derby County 3-0 Port Vale
Closing thoughts
This loss makes it eleven games since Port Vale’s last win and increases the odds of the Valiants playing League Two football next season. The implications of an awful January transfer window were laid bare as Vale were unable to name either a senior striker or left-back in their squad – positions that Director of Football David Flitcroft said would be strengthened in January.
A better Vale side than this one may have troubled Derby who looked short of confidence themselves but there’s no cutting edge to this side. There was also no outstanding performance from the players. Connor Ripley did his now familiar job of pulling off some good saves, Ben Garrity was energetic and that was about it…
It is increasingly looking like League Two next season but before any fans think this can be sorted in the summer let’s just remember – the vast majority of this squad are contracted until the end of NEXT season. The team who have messed up three transfer windows are perfectly capable of making it four. Unless there are backroom changes there is every chance of Port Vale continuing to make the same mistakes again and again.
Please note the following stats components may take a little while to update after the final whistle
Match stats
Port Vale: Ripley – Lopata, Iacovitti (Smith), Debrah – Plant (Mighten), Ojo, Garrity, Shorrock (Clark) – Massey, Chislett (Dipepa), Weir
Unused subs: Leutwiler, Walters, Lowe
Vale bookings: Ojo
Vale goals: none
Attendance: 27,392 (1,895 visitors)
Erm I am sad that erm we are going to get relegated but that is erm how it’s looking I believe that relegation is erm all we will have at the erm end of the season. My questions are can we afford a director of football for a team in the lower tier of the the EFL and will we wait until we are relegated at the end of next season before we get rid of will have Carol sold by then.
Another tame effort I appreciate there are players missing but there was very little effort from the players on show derby did not break sweat not acceptable
Carol needs to open her eyes and take the blinkers off. She is now in danger of repeating the same mistakes that previous owners have made. The clubs in free fall down to League Two and it will take a massive rebuild both on and off the pitch to correct all the mistakes that have been made over the last two years.
Off the pitch (with the exception of the DOF)things seem to be going reasonably well . On the pitch it’s a very different story this season was supposed to be when the club stabilised itself in League One but the funds to do this were for what ever reason were not available and I can’t see this changing next season.
All I can say is….Same S**t, Different Day.
League Two is inevitable.