A dour match exploded into life late on as Fleetwood took a dramatic lead only for Vale to hit back with a late penalty. Here’s our match report.
Team news
After a spell of relatively consistent selection, manager Darren Moore rang the changes for this game with five players brought into the side. Sam Hart, Jesse Debrah, Antwoine Hackford, Tom Sang and perhaps most surprisingly Rhys Walters were brought into the side. It was Walters’ first start since May 2024.
First-Half
It was a generally even but dour first-half with the home side having the best chance which fell to in-form Ryan Graydon as it ended goalless.
The home side had the first effort with a Mayor effort blocked by Hall. Lorent Tolaj, who put in an energetic performance, then robbed Fleetwood’s Bennett but was tackled.
There were a number of chances for the tricky Graydon, who looked a danger throughout the game. First, he broke clear but put in a tame shot. He also shot wide as the half drew to a close but his best chance came on the half-hour mark. He broke clear and Amos didn’t save cleanly. There were shouts for a penalty as the two came together but they were turned down by referee Bobby Madley.
As the half came to an end, Vale also had a couple of chances. Ryan Croasdale shot over on 38 and Tolaj was tackled as he broke clear in the closing moments. All-square was probably a fair half-time score after what had been a largely uninspiring display.
Half-time: Fleetwood 0-0 Port Vale
Second-Half
A mostly low quality game was transformed in a crazy ending. Vale somehow failed to score on 84 minutes only for Fleetwood to break and take the lead. Vale then equalised late on through a penalty.
Moore made two changes at the break with Clark and Curtis replacing Hart and Hackford.
Once again chances were few and far between although Vale had a few half chances as they started the half brightly.
The home side came back into the side and there were two chances for Mayor which he couldn’t convert. Vale brought on Chislett and Harper and started to put some pressure on. George Byers shot wide as did Mitch Clark.
The game turned on 84 minutes. Tom Sang found Mitch Clark and his ball into the box could not be poked home by Connor Hall and then Nathan Smith. Fleetwood broke and Graydon rounded Ben Amos to smash the ball home.
It looked like Vale’s unbeaten 2025 was at an end but the Vale pushed ahead and a foul on Chislett saw them awarded a spot-kick in additional time. Lorent Tolaj smashed the ball home to make it 1-1. The drama still wasn’t over as Fleetwood nearly retook the lead only for Bolton to head over with the game’s last chance.
Full-time: Fleetwood 1-1 Port Vale
Summary
Apart from the closing stages this was a forgetable game of poor quality. This was once again a lacklustre Vale display and questions need to be asked about Darren Moore’s squad selection. The in-form Curtis was surprisingly dropped to the bench while the midfield three of Croasdale, Byers and Walters were too deep. Why were the likes of Richards or Chislett, more attacking options not given a start? At the moment Vale are just about staying in promotion contention but performances are largely uninspiring and they really need to step up a gear.
Players
Positives first, goalscorer Lorent Tolaj was again full of energy while Ronan Curtis and especially Mitch Clark both made a difference when they came on. However, the rest of the team were average at best. Antwoine Hackford was largely anonymous, Ryan Croasdale’s form has tailed off and high profile signing George Byers was disappointing once again.
Stats
Starting XI: Amos – Debrah, Smith, Hall – Sang (Umolu), Croasdale (Harper), Walters (Chislett), Byers, Hart (Clark) – Hackford (Curtis), Tolaj
Subs: Broome, Heneghan
Goals: Lorent Tolaj (95)
Yellow cards: none
Attendance:
Competition: League Two
What did you think of the game and the performance? Scroll down and submit a comment.
Pathetic Vale, You should of started the game the same way that you finished it.I’ve just had to listen to the manager (I was trapped in the car)the same old speech,lessons will be learned,well we have only played 34 games.You carry to many passenger’s ,you only play with ten or even 9 players, Umolu is pathetic ( he could at least walk a little faster, Walter’s and Hackford, are not much use either, If we have local lads at Vale give them a go, they can’t be any worse, than the above mentioned players, roll on the end of the season, it’s getting painful to watch now.
Very very poor again and moores tactics need be questioned as just playing for a draw instead of going for the jugular of these very poor sides in league 2 from the first minute. I’d rather us go at these teams and take risks at this stage of the season. The business end.
Stick with your bloody strongest team selection Moore as I’m not going renew my season ticket unless I see us being more attacking as it is really poor value for money.
Are you listening Carol to fans like me.
I demand value for money and with this clown in charge who you put on a 5 year contract isn’t delivering it for me.
Chislett must be in from the start and why do we need Byers as a lump in front of a back three. Truly negative manager and will ruin our season, too many long term injuries and Garrity and Stockley badly missed.
For the third match in a row simply not good enough. Bizarre team selection again. Tolaj rescued a point with great penalty and again it seemed that he was the only one running. Chislett,Clark and Curtis gave us a lot more than those they replaced. Look at the table, we have lost the fewest games but many more draws from a defensively minded manager. Come on Mr Moore let’s set up more positive. We need to take full advantage when teams around us are not winning. On a positive note the weather was fantastic!
After today and a round trip of 254 miles from North Wales its obvious that our manager is possibly the most negative in many a year. He must have made well over 120 changes since the season started and certain players have suffered as a result. If we carry on as we are evev the playoffs could be in doubt.
The slow drift away from automatic promotion places continues. Freshening up the team after the disappointing home draw to Harrogate was understandable, but Moore’s starting selection effectively sabotaged the team’s chances of winning this vital game. To leave the club’s best creative and skillful attacking threats (Curtis and Chislett) on the bench was a mind numbing decision. It resumed Moore’s unpredictable tactical team selections, the types of decisions that never make any sense to supporters who’ve watched the club for decades. But, a point mercifully saved by Tolaj’s well struck last ditch penalty. This hard working striker is now the club’s top scorer. What are his chances of starting the next game ?
Andy Hughes has a good point tbh
C’mon Darren …listen to what we see on the pitch!!!
Trying be constructive but what we’ve been highlighting for the last few games is getting worse. Come on Darren pick the best 11 not any 11 🙁 Saying that whomever is givin the opportunity just take it and put 100% effort into it. We wouldn’t moan so much if we at least see a shift put in but some of you are just strolling around as if you’ve all the time in the world. Its League 2 football, get stuck in and unsettle the opposition then results will come.
Seems to me there is an element of bulling going on at Vale, Chislett is a must player for Vale, I have mentioned the players I think are favoured by the so called manager, there is more I would like you to say but I won’t,there is always something at Vale that stops us going forward, today it’s an owner who does not listen to the supporters and a manager worse than Jim Gannon.I to at the end of the season will not go to Vale park while Moore is manager, nor will I purchase anything from the shop, or help others ( as I do now) to purchase anything from the club,I have done 60 + years supporting the Vale but I will not support this manager,he is not only.ruining Vale players he has killed all Vale stand for as a team, his tactics are Pathetic. “NO MORE MOORE”.Even Dean Glover with his son in the side gave us some football,
Hi, good analysis of games you write. From a betting visitor.
Darren Moore has finally gone full circle, not only has he reverted back to playing out from the back to ensure Byers actually gets a touch of the ball, he is back to making multiple and bizarre team changes. The players are back to the situation where they don’t know who is playing or what system from week to week. Players who have been playing well, (notably Croasdale) are being moved around to accommodate Moores under performing favourites like Byers, Harper and now Walters. To say the game wasn’t a classic would be an understatement, and basically it descended into two big teams just trying to out muscle one another. The first half is best easily forgotten, and it wasn’t until the latter period of the second half that anything significant happened. There were some poor performances notably, Hackford, Walters, Debrah, and Byers leading the way. If Byers plays any deeper looking for his little safe areas to play in you may as well double him up as a car park attendant. Vale only sprung into any sort of life after the substitutions were made on the 46th and 65th minutes. Personally I thought Clark did very well and at last someone was actually getting behind them instead of balls just being lumped up there. Their keeper made a point blank save from Hall and they hit us at speed (something we seem unable to do) catching us all at sea. I did feel we were a bit lucky with the penalty, I’ve seen plenty of them not given. The lads foot was high and Chislett did go down as if a Millwall goalkeeper had tackled him, but if an opponent had gone down like that, then jumped up celebrating and looking for the ball to take the penalty seconds after it was given, I think the Vale fans would have had something to say about it. Even then Fleetwood managed to fluff a golden opportunity to win the game. With Moore’s return to these strange and not so wonderful team changes, bringing players into the team from out of nowhere then dropping and vanishing them just as quickly one just fears for the worst. The back 3 or 5 seems steady as ever, but the midfield is none existent now with the lightweight Byers ruling the roost, there’s basically no goals coming from any of those positions. As for the forwards we have two willing runners in Tolaj and Curtis, but with very little help other than from Clark there seems very little chance of a goal bonanza anytime soon. Moores the worst manager we’ve ever had !
Yet again it’s the defence who get the highest scores from fans for their performances. Most of the remaining matches are 6 pointers involving promotion contenders or teams fighting to avoid relegation. Constant draws while maintaining the unbeaten run is not doing much to support a bid for promotion!!! The Vale have shown recently that a more competitive approach with a high press and moving the ball quickly to the forwards has worked well and is needed to capitalise on the one or two games advantage the team has on the other teams fighting for promotion.
PLEASE don’t let this season fizzle out leaving everyone thinking what might have been?