Port Vale’s biggest home attendance for many years saw a disappointing display in the club’s final game of the season – but probably very few people will care… Here’s our match report.
Team news
Manager Darren Moore made just one change to his starting eleven with Ronan Curtis coming in for Jayden Stockley, who dropped to the bench. Joining Stockley in the dugout was teenager Jack Shorrock and loanees Nathan Broome, Rico Richards and Antwoine Hackford.
First-Half
It was goalless at the break after striker Lorent Tolaj missed a golden opportunity to put the Valiants ahead.
It had been a fast paced start with Rhys Walters having an effort in the opening minute. There were then a string of half chances – Jaheim Headley skipped through but no-one could convert his cross, a Mitch Clark cross was headed over and a shot from Clark was blazed wide.
Vale’s best chances fell to Curtis and Tolaj. A good move saw Curtis’ fierce shot saved on 28 minutes before Tolaj had the chance of the half. Clark was sent clear on 43 minutes and he squared it to Tolaj who uncharacteristically blazed it over.
In contrast, visitors Gillingham failed to muster a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes. It was goalless at the break.
Half-time: Port Vale 0-0 Gillingham
Second-Half
An effort from Gillingham’s Aaron Rowe earned the visitors a win and the double over the Valiants as Gareth Ainsworth’s side turned party poopers.
It didn’t take long for Gillingham to have their first effort on target – their first effort arriving on 46 minutes. Vale countered with a corner which saw a Jaheim Headley effort blocked. There was a weak Gillingham free-kick which preceded a period of pressure by the visitors. It brought an excellent goal by Rowe on 56 minutes.
Vale tried to counter with Richards setting fellow sub Stockley free but his effort was saved. It was Richards’ turn next as his shot was blocked after good work from Curtis and Tolaj.
Vale pushed late on – there were screams for a penalty on 86 minutes when Stockley was tackled but it was turned down. Tolaj then teed up Byers whose effort was saved. But it was not to be as Vale’s campaign ended with a home defeat. Thankfully, it was of no significance as the club now look forward to League One football next season.
Full-time: Port Vale 0-1 Gillingham
Summary
The performance and the result were in many ways unimportant with the hard work done the previous week. However, it would have been nice to have finished on a positive note. It was very much a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show although the promotion celebrations will probably mean this performance is soon forgotten. A final note on the always classy Gareth Ainsworth, who circled the pitch to applaud the Vale fans after the game.
Players
There were the odd decent performance on the pitch. Wingbacks Mitch Clark and Jaheim Headley were both bright at times. Defender Nathan Smith was the sponsors’ man of the match. Sub Rico Richards was also bright and made a difference – perhaps he could be an permanent addition in the summer?
Stats
Starting XI: Amos – Debrah, Smith (Richards), Hall – Clark, Croasdale (Stockley), Walters (Harper), Byers, Headley (Shorrock) – Curtis (Hackford), Tolaj
Subs: Broome, Lowe
Goals: none
Yellow cards: Clark
Attendance: 13,661
Competition: League Two
What did you think of the game and the performance? Scroll down and submit a comment.
Moors does it again Drops Stockley to the bench the mans a first class fool you put your best players out we arè going up but he still needs to be replaced
Who cares we r up and Donny won anyway…..
I’ve watched the Vale for 63yrs .I’ve seen good bad and ugly I’m so proud we got promoted don’t quite know how we at times played like awell organised team more often we stumbled wins.but today I feel so upset about the perform..ance it looks like the players had been on the shandies this week. If we play like this in div 1 we are straight down. Do not understand manager thinking. I love the Vale…times like this I wish didn’t…but I always will.utv.nossa.
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Stockley on from the start was a no brained but the managerknows better? Minor changes needed in the summer but there seems a feeling among some fans that Garrity, Chislett, Tolaj and Paton would be sold and some deadwood remain.
Apparently Stockley had been suffering from tonsillitis during the week, that was why he was on the bench, bit of an anticlimax, but if the effort from Laurent had gone in it would have been a different story; classy as always from Gareth Ainsworth, but what was most disappointing for me was what looked like trouble in the away end at the end of the game, from my viewpoint in the Hamil End it looked like Vale fans try to get the Gills fans, well done lads, we will probably not get the chance to split the away end again….. idiots
Hard work done last week. Today was not our day. To win the league would have been nice but promotion is not a bad second prize ..is it. Great appreciation from Gareth Ainsworth to the vale fans at the end of game. Fantastic to see Brandon Cover in the celebrations, a young lad with a great future ahead of him who did really well for us earlier this season. Looking forward to league 1 already, let’s make it back to back promotions!! Best wishes to all readers and commentors on this forum. Love the banter! UTV
Deserved celebrations today, but I’m disappointed with defeat. Reminds me of the 1982-83 season when John Rudge secured a fourth tier promotion away at Stockport, but finished the season with successive sour home defeats to Scunthorpe & Northampton. It’s difficult not to think that Stockley should have started today. Perhaps Byers should have made way for Curtis. Obviously the squad must be strengthened in the close season. Although unlikely, I hope Paton is successfully restored to the squad. I rate him, and think he can poach goals at League 1 level with the right service alongside target man Stockley. Crucially, Vale have won back many supporters with the season’s home average up to around 7,600. Reward for the owners, but just how many of today’s bumper 13,600 gate return for the first home games next season remains to be seen.
Think it was John McGrath in our 82/3 season which finished with the fancy dress 1:2 home defeat to Northampton. I recall our 85/6 promotion, possibly at Stockport on a Friday night?
Would like to see Paton back, he has something and deserves a proper run in the team. Why we let him go and kept Hackford on loan is a mystery!
Disappointing end to what has been a successful season, let’s be honest we lost to a mediocre second division team. Stark reminder that moving up to league one will mean new recruits are required to bolster our chances of remaining in that league. We need to find a striker who can score enough goals to do just that, I think the retained list will make interesting reading. Keep the faith, Up the Vale
I hope the mindless, selfish idiots in Bycars don’t come to Vale Park again. Crazy behaviour to try and get to the Gills fans. The club went to the trouble of providing tickets for a split Bycars and that gets abused by a small minority of cave men. Well done to the stewards for tackling it but that will be the end of any future Bycars splits.
I’m as pleased as anyone that Vale have gone up, but as I’ve stated before it will be not be because of Darren Moore, but despite of him. No one will convince me otherwise, if it had not been for the Grimsby disaster when the fans turned on the players and manager nothing would have changed, and Moore would have just continued in his stumbling way. Mass changes, 3 at the back, 4 at the back, 5 at the back, wing backs, no wing backs,1 forward, no forwards. Even after the amazing run we went on by playing a settled team with our best players in their best position and attacking teams, he tried to revert back to his old way’s with near disastrous effects. Unnecessary changes against both Barrow and Grimsby could have cost us if other teams hadn’t been struggling with their own form. For people who say the defeat and performance against Gillingham doesn’t matter because we had already gone up, well it mattered to Doncaster and that’s why they are champions. Not only was there a trophy at stake, there was also prize money and 13500 Vale fans who the club would love to woo back next season. As for next season, Vale will be one of the smallest clubs in league one so it won’t be easy. Personally I’ll be happy just to be safe with a couple of games to go. This is where we see how good Moore is, no longer will he have the luxury of having the biggest and best squad in the division, I just hope he doesn’t revert back to his fear of loosing matches rather than trying to win games. Can I just say what an excellent job you’ve done all season with your format of onevalefan.