Port Vale’s first-ever encounter with Bath City ended in a defeat after an early error by goalkeeper Connor Ripley.
Vale had arranged the friendly as a relatively close venue to their Welsh training base but despite the distance there were a healthy number of Vale fans present.
The Valiants took the pitch with a trialist playing on the right flank and wearing the number seven shirt. However, it was the home side who made early progress. A ball was put forward for a Bath player to run onto and Ripley inexplicitly ran way out of his area in an attempt to intercept. The keeper failed to reach the ball and the Bath player had the simple task of slotting into an open goal to make it 1-0 with just five minutes played.
Vale were failing to create much in the way of chances as their midfield duo of Garrity and Lowe lacked creativity and Ripley was too often forced into aimless punts down the flanks. Despite the lack of service, Lorent Tolaj looked dangerous playing just behind Baylee Dipepa and the Swiss striker had a couple of efforts go wide. Garrity and Dipepa also went close but this was not Vale’s half with the home side in control and creating a number of chances for themselves.
There was a blow on the brink of half-time when Sam Hart was forced off injured to be replaced by a trialist.
Half-time: Bath City 1-0 Port Vale
The Valiants kept the same eleven on the pitch for the start of the second period before making wholesale changes on the hour mark. The changes did bring Vale more into the game especially down the left flank where the trialist linked well with Jack Shorrock. There were a couple of changes for Jayden Stockley as a result with one header going just over.
Despite that late rally, Vale were largely lacklustre during the game and the home side also enjoyed some decent second-half chances, especially on the break.
Lorent Tolaj, Ben Garrity, Jayden Stockley and the trialist all had good moments but it was largely a game to forget for the rest of the Vale players. The match was watched by just over 500 fans with the locals no doubt coming away in a better mood than the travelling Valiants who had witnessed a poor Vale display.
Full-time: Bath City 1-0 Port Vale
Port Vale team
Vale (until the hour mark): Ripley – Clark, Debrah, Hall, Hart (Trialist) – Trialist, Lowe, Garrity, Curtis – Dipepa, Tolaj
Vale (from the hour mark): Ripley – Sang, Jones, Trialist, Trialist – Plant, Croasdale, Ojo, Shorrock – Stockley, Paton
Lose okay but lack lustre worrying no good enough. The team need tp be playing on the front foot.
Too many trialists being used. With the Signings we have made surely we had squad men to put out 2 decent teams without trialists.
Where was Smith
Pre season friendly results are notoriously unreliable for predicting league form, but nevertheless this effort was disappointing. Substitutions galore, but I expected better.
Sounds like it was a poor performance but let’s not forget what these friendlies are it is how we perform in the league that matters and I am sure we have too much experience in our squad not to do well
Ken, how would you sign players we aren’t sure about at this time of year? Do we sign them based on how they perform in training or do we do what we’re doing, play them in meaningless friendly games?
Moore has almost signed a new team yet he still doesn’t seem happy with what he’s got. Or is he already looking for replacements for his new signings ? With Smith Byers and Chislett still to come into the team surly the squad is good enough for league two.
Sorry I will give it a few games before I go up, Vale had no direction or leadership, last seasons attitude was very evident
We still seem to have the same problems as the last 2 seasons i.e. we can’t score goals hope it is not a repeat but we will see, after 10 games where will we be?
Not great at all, passing was laboured and there wasn’t much creativity to admire. Always difficult to judge but more effort and passion required before 10 August. Keep the faith, up the Vale.
Only a pre season friendly, but a bit of a wake up call. Skill, experience and ability aren’t anything without 100% effort