Port Vale 0 Accrington Stanley 2

10:31am Monday 18th August 2008

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ACCRINGTON upset almost 6,500 Vale season ticket holders with two outstanding goals at the start and finish of a game they dominated for long spells.

It was 49 years since Stanley’s last visit to Vale Park, but they made up for lost time with an impressive display which delighted their manager John Coleman.

Coleman’s men dominated where it mattered most down the spine of the field, starting with a faultless display by goalkeeper Kenny Arthur and rock solid defending from Colin Murdock and the immaculate Phil Edwards.

Ian Craney and Andrew Proctor took charge in the middle of the park to feed strikers Paul Mullin and Jamie Clarke, who caused plenty of problems for Vale’s shaky defence.

But Coleman was eager to praise every one of his players, who worked their socks off from the first kick until the last to give a small band of 108 followers plenty to cheer.

Cut-price season tickets boosted the attendance to 6,643 and the Vale fans were in full voice after a pre-match rallying call from chairman Bill Bratt.

But Accrington didn’t obey the script of the vociferous home support and soon put the cat among the pigeons by taking a second minute lead.

John McCombe flattened John Mullin 25 yards out and Ian Craney curled his free-kick around the defensive wall and inside Joe Anyon’s left-hand post.

The ball appeared to enter the net in slow motion and questions will no doubt have been asked about the set-up of Vale’s wall and Anyon’s positioning.

But Stanley weren’t concerned about that as they continued to impose themselves on a hard fought contest.

Vale looked edgy in the opening spell before Louis Dodds gave them a lift by firing a pass from Marc Richards narrowly wide of Arthur’s right-hand post.

Richards then turned an eight-yard effort too high and belted a 20-yard free-kick over the top as Lee Sinnott’s men began to gain the upper hand.

But Accrington were proving a tough nut to crack, as Chris King showed with a terrific block to deny Dodds, and threatened on the break as Jamie Clarke went close to adding a second two minutes before the interval.

Good work by John Miles set up the chance and Clarke, who moments earlier had almost danced his way through the whole of Vale’s defence, struck a shot on the turn which took a deflection before sneaking a foot wide of Anyon’s right-hand post.

Stanley also started the second-half in the ascendancy, with the elusive Clarke taking on and often beating a pedestrian Vale defence.

And Vale’s hearts were in their mouths in the 57th minute when Clarke skipped inside home skipper Sam Stockley and curled a cross-cum-shot just beyond the far upright.

Sinnott had seen enough and attempted to shake up his troops with the introduction of Rob Taylor on the left flank, with the ineffective Kyle Perry making way.

But the change made little if any difference and Accrington were soon peppering the Vale goal again.

The home rearguard just couldn’t contain Clarke, a 19-year-old on loan from Blackburn, and he was a whisker away with a tremendous effort in the 65th minute.

Clarke pinched the ball off McCombe before steadying himself to clatter a 25-yard shot which smashed against Anyon’s left-hand post and bounced to safety. It was a fantastic effort which even drew warm applause from the home faithful.

Vale, who by this stage were frustrating the living daylights out of their fans, finally landed a blow on target seven minutes from time when substitute Taylor struck a dangerous shot on the turn.

For a split second it looked as if the ball might sneak inside Arthur’s left-hand post, but the big stopper was down in a flash to snake out a hand and make his only serious save of the afternoon.

An equaliser would have been incredibly tough on Stanley and they got the second goal their display deserved in the 89th minute.

The inspirational Craney played the telling pass and Mullin took the ball in his stride before beating the advancing Anyon with a perfectly placed lob from 18 yards.

It was the signal for the majority of home fans to make for the exits while the small band of Accrington supporters celebrated their team’s first victory of the campaign.

Vale: Anyon, Stockley, McCombe, Slater, Collins, Dodds, Griffith, Davidson, Perry (Taylor 64), Rodgers (Tudor 70), Richards. Subs not used: Martin, Prosser, Howland.

Accrington: Arthur, Cavanagh, Edwards, Murdock, King, Richardson (Murphy 88), Proctor, Craney, Miles, Clarke, P. Mullin. Subs not used: Dunbavin, Ryan, Onibuje, J.Mullin.

Referee: Graham Horwood of Bedfordshire Attendance: 6,643 Bookings: Vale: Taylor (86, foul). P.Mullin (36, foul)