Bradford City 0, Port Vale 1
TOM Pope rammed home his ninth goal of the season as Port Vale produced a smash and grab raid to clinch a fabulous victory.
The striker's 37th-minute goal was very much against the run of play, but it was enough to deliver an important three points as Micky Adams's men defended for their lives.Adams opted to change his team for the first time since the opening day of the season.
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Rob Taylor's inclusion at left-back enabled skipper Doug Loft to move into central midfield alongside Ryan Burge, rewarded for showing impressive form from the bench in recent weeks with his first league start for the club. Chris Shuker and Sam Morsy were the men to make way.Bradford should have taken the lead inside the first 20 seconds.
Left-winger Kyel Reid's early cross into the box was collected by Nahki Wells, finding far too much space inside the penalty area. He collected it well but shot too close to keeper Chris Neal, who kept it out with his legs.
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A subsequent Gary Jones corner was headed into the side netting by James Hanson.The home side continued to hold the upper hand and looked more potent in attack.
And they went close again when Nathan Doyle's effort from the edge of the area was blocked by the sea of legs in front of Neal. The ball ran loose to Hanson on the right of the area, but his shot across goal was high and wide.
Hanson was in the thick of the action again after 20 minutes, forcing Neal into a save to his left with a header.Vale's frustration was summed up when Clayton McDonald, until then impressive at the back, was booked for a late challenge 10 minutes before the break.
The visitors were creaking under pressure again soon after but Richard Duffy produced two great blocks to deny Bradford. He dived in superbly to cut out a dangerous cross from the right and then made a fantastic challenge to keep out Wells's goal-bound effort from close range.
The Valiants had shown virtually nothing as an attacking force, but were soon to prove deadly when they did. Duffy's pass down the right after 37 minutes was not dealt with by full-back James Meredith and Pope seized the loose ball. He ran towards goal before letting fly with a left-foot shot which beat keeper Jon McLaughlin's desperate dive to stun the home crowd.
Pope went close again just before the break with a strong far-post header from a Burge corner which McLaughlin juggled before snatching as he fell backwards.Jennison Myrie-Williams was released by Louis Dodds at the start of the second half but was squeezed out on a tight angle, but Bradford were pressing once more with Reid again prominent.
Ashley Vincent broke from the halfway line and cut inside only to shoot too close to McLaughlin and Myrie-Williams then shaved the crossbar with a deflected shot from the edge of the area as the Valiants warmed to their task.
The home side continued to push forward and were rewarded with a free-kick on the very edge of the area when Dodds was adjudged to have been guilty of a push. Luckily, Jones's effort was blocked by the wall and the ball was cleared.Vale looked to have their backs to the wall once more, but stout defending kept Bradford at bay.
McDonald was in the right place at the right time to keep the visitors ahead with 13 minutes to go when he kicked away a Doyle shot which looked to be heading in.
Neal did well to tip a Wells shot over his ball in injury time and then saved a Hanson shot on his line but Vale had done enough.
Bradford City: McLaughlin, McArdle, Davies, Oliver (Connell, 81), Meredith, Atkinson (Hines, 62), Doyle, Jones, Reid (Thompson, 87), Wells, Hanson. Subs not used: Duke, Darby, Ravenhill, McHugh.
Port Vale: Neal, Duffy (Yates, 74), McCombe, McDonald, Taylor, Myrie-Williams, Loft, Burge, Vincent (Morsy, 85), Dodds, Pope. Subs not used: Johnson, Owen, Shuker, Williamson, Lloyd.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
Attendance: 11,030.
Comments
by kjhgfd
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 1:50PM
“vale_for_real
nice prediction”
by Darren1810
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 9:33AM
“Vale for real, i am positive mate, indeed at Bradford i said all along i fancied us get a result, lucky as it was !!! all i was trying say is too many people presumed we would batter Gillingham and will automatically stuff Dagenham because they are a 'little' club with no support and struggling,each game is difficult in it,s own right, the last 2 times they have won at our place, i am positive we are better equiped to turn them over this time around, as for boothernender i agree no need to dig at Stoke as this thread is about us, nice comments from him to say he wishes us luck and this is from someone with black and white blood blood through his veins”
by boothernender
Monday, October 01 2012, 9:50PM
“Not sure why some of you feel the need to have a pop at Stoke, it's a bit pathetic really as the clubs are now poles apart. I'm a lifelong Stokie but I think it's great to see the Vale doing OK after what the supporters have had to put up with recently. It's all good news for the area and I'd love to see Vale get promoted.”
by algy7
Monday, October 01 2012, 7:29PM
“wineguzzler,
The reason why warren-lloyd prefers Rugby and Stoke is because some of the tackles Stoke put in reminds him of Rugby. Have you not heard of "uncuoth Huth", and "studs Shawcross" ?, and when they shoot at goal it goes OVER te bar, then they try to claim 3 points !!!”
by Vale_For_Real
Monday, October 01 2012, 4:53PM
“Darren,
Its called being positive.
Micky will send the players out pumped up and believing they can win in style.
The supporters ought do the same thing, instead of having kittens when we play this sort of game they should just believe we will win and be very positive it will help the players.”
by wineguzzler
Monday, October 01 2012, 2:20PM
“"I'd rather have Rugby."
That why you go Stoke then Warren? :)”
by Darren1810
Monday, October 01 2012, 10:26AM
“Vale for real, don,t count your chickens mate, lets take each game as it comes, these games are always banana skins for Vale”
by Vale_For_Real
Monday, October 01 2012, 9:12AM
“On Tuesday, Gillingham are away at Northampton a decent home team, and Vale are at home to Dagenham a team that usually doesnt travel well.
The right results in both games and we could be top of the League on Wednesday.
Go on Vale!”
by Darren1810
Monday, October 01 2012, 8:52AM
“football all about opinions, i came away thinking how on earth had we won that game !! the referee was appalling and gave them absolutely everything, as for the comment Loft has failed in mid-field how ridiculous, he is surely not a left back and is the best footballer at the club, all he needs is a run in that position to re-capture his form and i think he can also get a few goals from that position, he has had a catologue of injuries and given a clean bill of health will be a pivotal figure in the team , utterly wasted at left back”
by warren-lloyd
Monday, October 01 2012, 12:04AM
“I'd rather have Rugby.”