Port Vale plummeted to rock bottom of the League One table after a poor home defeat to fellow strugglers Plymouth Argyle. Here’s our match report.
Team News
Darren Moore made just one change to his starting line-up which was to bring in Jaheim Headley for the injured Marvin Johnson on the left flank. It meant Rhys Walters continued in midfield and Ben Heneghan continued as part of a back three.
Fellow wingback Kyle John was deemed fit to start on the right. Ruari Paton partnered Devante Cole upfront. Jayden Stockley, Funso Ojo and Ronan Curtis were all named on the bench.
Headley: handed a start
First-half
It was a pretty low quality affair for the first 45 minutes with Vale have the better of the play without really threatening to score.
Vale had a bright start with a Ruari Paton snapshot just over after just 30 seconds of play. However, there were still unforced errors in their game. Rhys Walters was robbed on three minutes but the resulting shot was deflected wide for the visitors’ first effort on goal.
After a break for an injury to Kyle John, Joe Gauci made a confident claim from an Argyle free-kick on 15 minutes and then Connor Hall headed wide for the hosts on sixteen minutes.
There was another good chance for the Valiants on 23 minutes but Kyle John couldn’t get on the end of Headley’s dangerous low cross. However, Argyle caused panic on 28 minutes when Mumba connected with a cross but he couldn’t find the target.
Vale’s best chance saw Vale win the ball on 29 minutes. Headley broke on the left. His low cross was inches away from finding Cole in the six yard box. Ben Heneghan was next to threaten on 37 minutes with a header from a free-kick. There was almost an own-goal from Mitchell as he blocked Garrity’s cross on 39 minutes.
It was a decent finish to the half for the home side but with no efforts on target they really needed to be more clinical if they wanted to be in the lead.
Half-time: Port Vale 0-0 Plymouth Argyle
Connor Hall: headed wide
Second-half
Former Valiant Lorent Tolaj condemned Vale to a home defeat and bottom place in the table after his second-half strike settled the game.
The second-half started in disastrous fashion as Plymouth were allowed to cross and former Vale striker Tolaj converted from close range. Once again, Vale’s defending had not been good enough and opponents had capitalised. Headley had allowed his opponent to cross while Heneghan and Gauci were both slow to react to the threat of Tolaj in the box.
Vale countered with an effort from Rhys Walters on 51 minutes which was deflected wide. Darren Moore then added Jayden Stockley to the fray in place of Ben Heneghan on 59 minutes.
There was then two glorious chances for Paton. On 62 minutes Cole headed the ball down but the Irishman saw his shot well saved by the keeper. Moments later, Garrity fed the striker but his shot was weak and easily saved. Meanwhile, Gauci was down well to save a Plymouth effort on 64 minutes.
Moore then brought on Curtis and Ojo for Walters and Headley for the final twenty minutes. It was Curtis who provided the next chance with a lovely cross but fellow sub Stockley headed wide. A powerful Paton free-kick was blocked and Cole blazed over.
The Valiants continued to press in the eight minutes of additional time. Cole headed wide from a Paton corner and Paton himself saw an effort saved. However, as has often been the case in recent games, Vale could not force a goal. It was such poor fare that Vale fans started a chant of “We should have gone Christmas shopping”. It was a case of gallows humour. These are worrying times for the club as, right now, relegation to League Two looks a pretty strong possibility.
Full-time: Port Vale 0-1 Plymouth Argyle
Jayden Stockley: headed wide
Analysis and Opinion
The match
It was familiar failings for the Valiants – not enough attempts on goal and slack defending at the other end. After so much faith had been placed in him by the owners, the pressure is now mounting on manager Darren Moore. There will be lots of questions (and doubts) about whether he can turn things around. It was a toxic atmosphere at the end and Moore facing an increasingly uphill task with fans losing faith and his side bottom of the table. Let’s be clear – Plymouth themselves were pretty poor – and to lose at home to them doesn’t bode well for the next fixtures.
The players
Jaheim Headley was enterprising going forward but caught out at the back for the cross resulting in Tolaj’s goal. Ruari Paton showed some flashes but striker partner Devante Cole was quiet for long periods. Captain Ben Garrity added some energy, Kyle John was tireless on the flank and George Hall showed some pace but that was largely that. There wasn’t really anyone who tried to affect the game and grab it by the scruff of the neck.
Star player
None
Summing up in a sentence
Moore’s Vale side hits rock bottom.
Match stats
Team: Gauci – Humphreys, Heneghan (Stockley) , Hall (Brown) – John, Walters (Ojo), Garrity, Headley (Curtis) – G.Hall – Paton, Cole
Subs: Amos, Debrah, Croasdale
Yellows: John
Reds: none
Goals: none
Attendance: 7,458
Season stats
Your thoughts…
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No Comment ……………..
Here we go again Port Vale 0…..getting tedious. Paton missed 3 great chances and Devante Cole guilty of missing a header from 6 yards. Right side looked good with John, G Hall and Ben G. The rest enough said! Not good enough. “Darren Moore your football is sh*t and you’re getting sacked in the morning” reverberating around the ground should tell the clown and the powers that he that enough is enough. Time to go Mr Moore. You should have gone weeks ago. Come on Carol grow a pair and sack this idiot today. He has quite clearly lost the dressing room weeks ago and even his staunchest supporters should have seen enough. Awaiting for breaking news even as I write this. TAXI for Moore
Get rid of Moore now before it’s to late, been saying for weeks that he ain’t got a clue in this league get a new manager to get some belief back into the side & stability.
I’m not sure what the club did today to recognize us international fans, but a goal would have been nicer.
Well what can you say?..as an opposing manager you will know just how the Vale plays…and we have no other way of playing, just why is that?. On top of the poor tactics we have a number of players that are just not good enough for this standard. At this stage we need to go a 4-4-2 with a team of fighters..just why cant the manager see this?..there is absolutely stand no chance of survival if we stick with this manager and the way we play…3 wins and 13 goals..
He needs to Go now no wingers every one knows how we are going to play if carol keeps him we are back in league two we know you love the vale but you are making too many mistakes and if you carry on the you are causing as much damage as surthwaite did now is the time to act to hopefully save this season get someone else in f
Yet another defeat. Vale’s draw at Wimbledon last month ended an unbeaten league sequence of 3 wins and 2 draws. I thought then that the club had the squad to comfortably achieve safety, albeit skeptical about Moore’s chopping and changing. No league goals since and now rock bottom in the league. The team looks drained of confidence, and luck. Who would be a football club owner ? The Shanahan’s have invested heavily in Moore, his ideas and signings. Arguably too much. With 29 league games left they face the dilemma of twist or stick with the manager and his staff, asking themselves if and when Moore can pull it around. Contingency plans might already be progressing, if they have sensibly heeded warnings from team results and the club’s supporters. It’s a cross road for those connected or following the club, with an expensive upheaval now on the cards.
I cannot understand the dithering,or indecision over Moores future.He has proven inept and not up to the task.He comes across as totally uninspiring.Its a wonder he can motivate anyone!! In any other business he would have been gone in a flash.
Time to do the right thing and wield the axe now.
As others have said…How can Moore survive this shambles ? Didn’t he say only last week that he takes full responsibility for the teams performance ? If so,he has to go and go now,before it’s too late. Plymouth were poor,Vale were even worse. Moore has to go,and go now.I will be giving live games a miss until he is gone,it is just too depressing to see our club in this position.Arne Slot will be available very soon too !