Port Vale 3-0 Blackpool match report – Garrity, Wilson and Smith goals ensure Vale end the year with a win

Goals from Ben Garrity, James Wilson and Nathan Smith helped Port Vale to a comfortable three points on Friday night. A Valiants side featuring youngsters Jack Shorrock and Ben Lomax therefore ended 2023 on a winning note.

Team news

Manager Andy Crosby made a number of changes including a recall for captain Nathan Smith and full League debuts for youngsters Ben Lomax and Jack Shorrock. James Wilson partnered Uche Ikpeazu upfront. Gavin Massey missed the game through illness.

First-half

Blackpool started strongly in the opening minutes with an effort just going over the bar from a corner. It took nine minutes for Vale’s first effort with Ikpeazu blazing a shot over. Blackpool continued to cause the Valiants defence problems in the opening stages.

On fifteen minutes, Rhodes was sent clear but his chip from out wide only found Ripley’s hands. Youngster Lomax and Nathan Smith were on hand to clear further Blackpool attacks.

The Valiants came more into the game on the half-hour mark but both sides were struggling to produce many clearcut chances when in possession.

Jack Shorrock was one Vale player who was impressing. The sixteen year-old made a couple of promising runs and provided some decent crosses. Fellow youngster Lomax, while less of an attacking threat also looked comfortable at this level.

Blackpool countered with a long-range effort from Morgan which went over. However, it was the hosts who took the lead. A lovely ball from Alfie Devine found Chislett who played it into the path of an onrushing Ben Garrity. He kept his cool to find the net and score his tenth of the season on 39 minutes. There was almost a second for the home side when Ikpeazu unleached a pile driver from 25 yards which was tipped over. It meant Vale took just the one goal advantage into the break.

Second-half

Vale started brightly with Jack Shorrock bringing down a ball from Lowe and forcing a save. There was a further shot from Devine. However, Vale were grateful for Ripley pulling off a fine one-on-one save from Rhodes who was free in the box. There was a second chance on 53 minutes when Dembele was found in the box but he headed it back rather than towards goal.

Blackpool would regret those misses. Excellent interplay between Chislett and Wilson saw Vale bamboozle the Blackpool backline and a clever dipping shot from James Wilson from the edge of the box beat the keeper to make it 2-0 on 57 minutes. It was the striker’s fourth goal of the season.

Minutes later, Ripley, who was having a commanding game was again on hand to make a close range save. As the game went end-to-end, good work from Shorrock set up Ikpeazu for another effort which was saved. Blackpool counterted with a near-post header from a corner which hit the post and a wild effort from substitute Dale.

It was then Vale’s turn as Ikpeazu set Loft free but he was flagged offside. Sixteen year-old Jack Shorrock, who holds the record of the club’s youngest-ever player and youngest-ever scorer, and who had enjoyed a good full debut, was replaced on 77 minutes to a standing ovation.

The Valiants win was then capped by a goal from the returning captain Nathan Smith who tapped the ball home from a Debrah header down. It put Vale 3-0 up with ten minutes to play and was greeted by boos from Blackpool fans unimpressed with Smith’s earlier mastery of football’s dark arts to win a free-kick.

Even Vale’s defence would be unlikely to concede three goals in ten minutes. Connelly put an effort just wide but the Valiants duly held firm to record a clean sheet and a welcome three points.

Player notes

The player of the first-half was Alfie Devine who put together some excellent balls. In the second-half, James Wilson and Ethan Chislett were more prominent while the battering ram that is Uche Ikpeazu also caused the Blackpool back-line countless problems.

Both youngsters Lomax and (especially) sixteen year-old Shorrock impressed. Meanwhile, the defence, with Nathan Smith restored (and scoring) and Ripley back to his dominant best held firm to keep a rare clean sheet.

Closing thoughts

This was a much better Vale performance to end the year on. Andy Crosby clearly gambled by starting teenagers Lomax and Shorrock, but they did not look out of place. Sub Dipepa, a third youth teamer also fitted in.

It was noticeable that Vale looked more of a threat with a fit duo of Wilson and Ikpeazu starting. Wilson’s return has coincided with Vale’s decent recent form, but Ikpeazu is looking fitter (and more dangerous) with every game too. With Chislett and Devine providing the craft and Garrity the energy, it’s looking much better in the final third.

The January transfer window is about to open and new arrivals will still be wanted. However, in some respects Vale will also be concerned about keeping Wilson and Ikpeazu matchfit and hoping that Spurs don’t think about recalling the increasingly influential Alfie Devine.