by Steve Shaw

Shrewsbury Town

Port Vale 1

PORT Vale earned their first League Two away win of the season this afternoon by securing a deserved victory at 10-man Shrewsbury Town.

It was Vale's first win in six away league games and their first league win in six – home or away.

They achieved it thanks to John McCombe's first goal of the season.

The defender's third goal for the club arrived just before the break when he hit the net with a powerful close-range header.

Vale's cause was boosted when Shrews skipper Graham Coughlan was sent off after earning a booking in either half.

Vale boss Micky Adams named the same first-XI that progressed in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday with a 3-1 success over League One side Stockport County.

Vale will travel to League Two rivals Bradford City to contest the competition's Northern area quarter-final. The tie will be played the week commencing November 9.

There was no room in the line-up for new midfield signing Jason Jarrett who was rested in mid-week after picking up a slight shin injury.

Attacker Rob Taylor has been laid low with painful wisdom teeth and mouth ulcers but was fit enough to take his place on the bench.

Lewis Haldane clung onto his place after hitting his first goal for the club against County, but fellow loan striker Jamie Guy had to settle for a place on the bench.

Midfielders Doug Loft (calf) and Simon Richman (groin) and striker Geoff Horsfield (groin) were sidelined due to injury.

Shrewsbury's team included former Vale trainee striker Dave Hibbert.

At the end of last season's corresponding fixture a last-minute Marc Richards goal sparked a pitch invasion of jubilant Vale fans as their side claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory.

And there was plenty of early 'banter' between the two sets of supporters, early on, which continued throughout the first half.

Louis Dodds notched up the temperature a few degrees when his first-minute lunge on Kelvin Langmead earned the Vale midfielder a booking.

The visitors posed more of a threat in the opening stages as Anthony Griffith had a shot blocked on the edge of the box.

On 10 minutes, Coughlan earned his first booking for blocking Richards's advances to end a sweeping Vale counter-attack.

While the Valiants looked composed in possession they struggled to permeate their rival's defence.

On 13 minutes even left-wing back Kris Taylor had to smile when he collided with Richards in the box as the pair honed in on Sam Stockley's cross.

Two minutes later, Taylor's corner was cleared to Tommy Fraser near the edge of the box but Vale's skipper guided a floated effort over.

After wasting a few half chances Vale almost went ahead in the 18th minute when the ball was worked to Stockley on the right.

The defender's excellent deep delivery found the onrushing Taylor towards the far post where his careful six-yard header was tipped over by keeper Steve Phillips.

Taylor fired over with a wild long-range effort on 21 minutes.

Shrews had hardly threatened but when they cleared a Vale corner, forward Jake Robinson drove into the right channel with purpose.

But with Griffith in close attendance he could only flash the ball across the goal sending it to safety.

Haldane almost broke clear, soon after, and Robinson stabbed a shot over when centre-half Lee Collins failed to clear.

On 30 minutes Phillips got down well to save a 25-yard volley from Griffith.

Vale keeper Chris Martin got a rare touch of the ball in the 31st minute when he easily collected Hibbert's downward eight-yard header, meeting a Dean Holden set-piece

Jake Simpson, son of Shews boss Paul, whipped over a cross which Hibbert guided just past the left-hand post.

The lively encounter was scattered with feisty challenges, as Griffith entered the referee's book for a late challenge.

Taylor was enjoying plenty of space down the left. On 36 minutes the ball found him unmarked in the box but in failing to properly connect his 14-yard effort barely reached Phillips.

Vale opened the scoring in the dying seconds of the first period after earning a 48th-minute corner.

Fraser took it from the right, and when Shrews' defence only partially cleared Louis Dodds nodded the ball across goal for McCombe to crash his header home from close range.

The goal sparked excited celebrations from their 1,155 strong travelling support housed in the ProStar Stadium's North Stand.

Adams made a double substitution at half-time replacing Louis Dodds and Anthony Griffith for Guy and Jarrett respectively.

Vale continued where they left off at the start of the second half.

On 50 minutes, Guy was found by Stockley on the right side of the box but his well-hit centre flew across goal with nobody on hand to apply a killer touch.

Coughlan was given his marching orders in the 55th minute after being adjudged to have blocked a Vale through ball with a deliberate hand ball.

From the resulting set-piece Taylor guided his 25-yard effort inches high and wide of the near right-hand post.

Shrewsbury almost equalised on the hour-mark, however, but Taylor was well positioned to clear Paul Murray's ferocious drive off his own goal line.

With nothing to lose Shrews began to show more attacking intent as the second half wore on, although Taylor, substitute Adam Yates and Fraser had long-range shots blocked in the 68th minute.

After Yates saw another shot blocked Shrews almost levelled in the 76th minute when Kevin McIntyre's left-flank was powered just beyond the left-hand post by substitute Nathan Elder.

Martin showed strong concentration levels in the 81st minute diving to his left to smother a low angled effort from Steve Leslie.

With a few minutes to go Haldane showed Shane Cansdell-Sherriff a clean pair of heels on the right but Phillips snuffed out his cut-back.

But Vale did enough, in the end, to achieve victory against the high-flyers.

Match Stats

Teams

Port Vale: Martin, Stockley (Yates, 61), Owen, Collins, McCombe, K Taylor, Fraser, Griffith (Jarrett, 45), Dodds (Guy, 45), Richards, Haldane.

Not used: Anyon, R Taylor, Howland, McCrory.

Shrewsbury Town: Phillips, Holden, Coughlan, Langmead, Cansdell-Sherriff, Simpson (Leslie, 57), Murray, McIntyre, Neal, Hibbert (Bright, 62), Robinson (Elder, 62).

Not used: Hooman Gray, Arestidou, Richards.

Referee: Steve Bratt (West Midlands)

Attendance: 7,096 (including 1,155 away fans)