A dreadful opening 45 minutes, the woodwork and goalkeeping heroics saw Port Vale slump to a Tuesday evening home defeat. Here’s our match report.
Team news
Manager Darren Moore made four changes resting Rhys Walters, Lorent Tolaj, Mitch Clark and Ryan Croasdale. Into the starting eleven came Rakeem Harper, Antwoine Hackford, Tom Sang and skipper Ben Garrity. However, Garrity was initially played in a more withdrawn role, which doesn’t play to his strengths.
First-Half
A dreadful opening forty five minutes saw a massively below par deservedly losing at half-time.
It was a slow start from the Vale with nothing much to write home about. As the game went over the half-hour mark it was the visitors who had looked the more dangerous and had had the better chances. Vale were lacking the final ball and looked nervy at times.
Barrow took a deserved lead on 36 minutes. A corner was partially cleared by Connor Hall and the ball reached Ben Jackson whose low drive beat Amos. It was due reward for the visitors who had looked far more enterprising than a lacklustre Vale side.
It was, to be frank, an awful display by the Valiants without a single decent chance and with too many players off the boil. The fans were frustrated as the half-time whistle went and with good cause.
Half-time: Port Vale 0-1 Barrow
Second-Half
Vale struck the woodwork three times in the second-half as, thanks mainly to the contributions of the subs, they put on a much improved display. However, they finished the game as losers.
Darren Moore made three half-times changes with Tolaj, Walters and Croasdale all coming on. Vale started the half much better and a good move saw Hall bursting forward but his final ball was cut out. A foul on Walters saw Vale awarded a 50th minute free-kick and Tolaj’s drive was well saved. Another set piece from Tolaj on 56 minutes struck the outside of the post with the Swiss striker looking really sharp.
It was a completely different second-half display. Tolaj had another attempt blocked then Jesse Debrah saw his header expertly saved. Vale rattled the woodwork again with Stockley’s 76th minute header as they continued to press. A minute later Garrity headed against the bar after a good ball from sub Rico Richards and Stockley curled a drive wide. Yet another chance saw the lively Richards find Stockley’s head but once again there was a great save from visiting keeper Farman. There were then cries for a penalty when Croasdale went down in the box but it wasn’t given.
Vale continued to push but having only been in the game for 45 minutes, there wasn’t time to grab an equaliser as they lost a potentially vital home game
Full-time: Port Vale 0-1 Barrow
Summary
You could say, after hitting the woodwork so many times, the Tuesday night curse was in effect for Vale, but superstitions aside, manager Darren Moore has to take the blame for this.
His starting eleven was a poor choice. Ben Garrity is clearly better as an attacking midfielder. But he had to play as a holding player due to Vale’s front three. But why that front three? Vale have looked more effective with a front pairing. With Ronan Curtis, goal on Saturday aside, off form, surely the right formation would have seen Tolaj and Stockley paired upfront and Garrity as an attacking midfielder ahead of two holding players? Instead, we have Garrity wasted for forty five minutes in a withdrawn role, Curtis, bang out of form, started and Tolaj, a goal threat, sidelined for rookie Hackford. For such an important game, these decisions are mind boggling. Moore swopped to the two upfront with Garrity behind for the second period and the improvement was immediate. But it left Vale with only half the game to turn things around. It wasn’t long enough against well drilled opponents.
Players
We already pointed out, for what could be a pivotal game, it’s difficult to understand why Darren Moore would rotate his squad. However, that is not to absolve the players themselves of the blame but it can’t help when they can’t build partnerships on the pitch and are constantly being rotated in and out of the eleven. The first-half displays were all forgettable.
Lorent Tolaj made an immediate impression after coming on and that begs the question why he needed to be ‘rested’ in the first place. The same could be said of Croasdale and Walters. However, Tolaj, who was the best Vale player, also seems to bring the best out of Stockley who had a better second-half. Both the forwards were unlucky not to score – perhaps it may be an idea to start with both of them upfront next time?
There were also an improved second-half display from Garrity while Rico Richards once again put in a tricky late cameo. Sadly, it wasn’t enough on the night.
Stats
Starting XI: Amos – Debrah, Smith, Hall – Sang (Richards), Garrity, Harper (Walters), John (Clark) – Curtis (Croasdale), Stockley, Hackford (Tolaj)
Subs: Broome, Umolu, Hart
Goals: none
Yellow cards: none
Attendance: 5,894
Competition: League Two
What did you think of the game and the performance? Scroll down and submit a comment.
Surely this is bad management.. 1st half we weren’t in the game… 2nd half after making changes we nailed them.. so frustrating…
Ok Carol you are appalled at the abuse of a Vale player,and rightly so.How about the supporters who are abused with this excuse for a manager, enough is enough, why does he wait until half time to make changes the players Curtis was being carried from the start, your manager is either training the players to much or to little,in this Vale side there are some of the worst players I have ever seen at Port Vale, Mr Moore is near the for the worst manager ever and I’ve seen some bad ones, if he is still the manager next season YOU WILL LOOSE THE FAN BASE, the supporters have had enough now, roll on the end of the season, we can have a break form Mr Moore, the midfield are static, there is no speed in the midfield, that team should never of been allowed to start there was no balance,there are a number of us putting this to you, please get us a manager.no matter what team he plays from his so called squad there is ALWAYS 3 lame ducks.
What an opportunity missed. With vital points begging to be snapped up against modest Barrow’s poor away record, Moore’s starting selection and tactical tinkering sabotaged his team’s first half performance. Perhaps some supporters anticipated this with the home gate sinking to 5,800, well below the season’s average. Decisions to bench Tolaj and have Garrity in his less effective withdrawn midfield role were totally baffling. Moore may or may not explain himself, but the damage is done.
Totally agree the blame lies with Mr Moore.4 changes made astonishingly, the tombola working overtime plus 5 changes in the match.First half 11 poor. Second half 11 much beter and unlucky. Yes we need to look after certain players but I would think it prudent to start with your best 11 and change during the game as and when. Tolaj should be the first name on team sheet for his work ethic, desire and ability. Yes we hit the woodwork numerous times and can consider ourselves unfortunate not to get at least a point. However we got nothing and now head into arun of 3 hard games looking for at least 5 points. A word on the barrow goal leading up to the corner it looked like Amos should have come for the ball when he didn’t, they get the corner and score, not fully convinced about him.Let’s hope that Mr Moore learns his lesson! Onto Crewe should be a crackerjack
Scathing report of the gaffer that. Not a report, like commentators it’s now an opinion.
From a professional sport perspective, understand why he made changes. From a a football supporter perspective, changes were ridiculous. Supporters, who are the club, want to win games. Second half performance as good as any this season, aside from the ball hitting net. Crewho will pay for this on Saturday……hopefully.
Agree with your conclusions entirely.
We didn’t start out the right way.
Tonight’s game highlights exactly why I think Moore is Port Vale’s worst manager ever. He has this misguided delusion of himself as being some tactical genius. Vale’s first half performance was totally down to Moore and his ridiculous team selections and constant tinkering. However what a change in the second half, and alls Moore did was to put our best players in their best positions and let them play. Everyone EXCEPT Moore knows, to get the best out of Garrity you play him high up the pitch running past the forwards. I’ve always said Vale have the best squad in this league, and the second half performance just shows how the Vale could have been playing every week from the off, and not just for the odd 45 minutes. This squad is full of goals or should be, Stockley, Paton, Tolaj, Curtis, Chislett, Garrity, yet we have been forced to watch dross, defensive single goal victories at best, because of Moore and his deluded opinion of himself. You play your best players whenever possible and try to win every game, and not keep turning out weakened teams to save certain players for forthcoming fixtures. If Vale go up it will be IN SPITE of Moore and not because of him. No doubt Carol will be sitting there with her head in a bucket of sand not wanting to face the truth as usual! 1-3-5-2 could be our best formation with Garrity bursting through from midfield to support the front two.
a dreadful performance and this lies with the manager; people don’t want to watch this bang average football every week ; so do the right thing Carol ; you have backed this manager and he isn’t good enough and replace him at the end of the season
Here here, the Colchester defensive approach finished me. New and fresh attacking manager and I will return! If Moore is there, I am not! Carol, please listen to your supporters!!
Valid critism above but its gone now 🙁 Opportunity missed to go 3rd clear and make the next games/teams worry about us not them. Right 8 games to go, can we as Moores squad players to give 100% whether you start or come on as a sub. We need to be One now and get behind them in this run in to the finish line. Captain Sensible (Nathan Smith) was my Man of the Match over the 90mins and Kyle John had a frustrating day but really worked hard and I dont think should of been taken off personally. Come on guys go out and enjoy the forthcoming battles and let’s see if we can cement a top 3 spot. One Vale, good luck lads! 😉
Said it before to much tinkering with line up ..week in week out .we’re not a premiership club and probably never will be ..but rudgey used to put his best team out every time ..if fit..and no suspensions .keep a winning side ..if changes have to be made through forced change ..its a opportunity for replacement player to take his chance..OK back then squads were smaller ..1 sub only ..then2 on the bench ..could say these days spoilt for choice ..but remember a Leicester manager was it cloudier reigner .sorry about the spelling lol…they called him the tinker man ..forever making wholesale changes for every match…did well for him for a while ..then it eventually cost it his job ..for bad results…if your winning keep your winning line up barring forced changes…unbelievable jeff ?????
Listening to radio on the way to match you fear what’s going to happen with the changes made (again) it should be obvious to start with your strongest side and change as the game allows. Getting fed up of saying the same thing. Obvious improvement in the second half but damage done. With tough games on the horizon please give us something to be positive about.
Poor selection of lineup to start. Garrity wasted in holding position, Chislett is he injured or not and our most creative player he is by far. Tuesday night fixtures now doom laden. Manager must go at end of season no matter where we end up.
With the squad that’s been expensively put together I was expecting us to win games convincingly yet for the most part we scrape home by the odd goal with a team packed with central defenders, defensive midfield players and wing backs who are primarily full backs. Tolaj has only featured regularly since Christmas and more attacking players like Chislett and Richards have been sidelined. We might yet win promotion, but I don’t enjoy watching it.