Port Vale: Post-match stats for Vale's League Two clash with Northampton

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1

(Akinfenwa, 81)

PORT VALE 2

(McCombe 4, Rigg 58)

POSSESSION

Northampton 53 per cent

Port Vale 47 per cent

GOAL ATTEMPTS

Northampton 5 (2 on target)

Port Vale 10 (6 on target)

CORNERS

Northampton 8

Port Vale 4

THE REFEREE

Gavin Ward (Surrey) 6

FOULS

Northampton 15

Port Vale 11

CARD WATCH

YELLOW – Northampton: Guttridge (foul, 38); Harding (foul, 44). Vale: Griffith (foul, 41); Loft (dissent, 75). RED – Northampton: None. Vale: None.

THE CROWD

Attendance 5,803

MATCH RATING

Entertainment 6

TOMLINSON: Commanded his box with authority and produced a superb tip-over save to keep out Brett Williams's second-half header 7

LOFT: Supplied two assists in another all-action display 7

McCOMBE: Headed home his second goal of the campaign while delivering an uncompromising tackling display 7

McDONALD: Cleared the danger on numerous occasions, while his physical presence helped contain burly striker Adebayo Akinfenwa 7

TAYLOR: The winger showed his defensive mettle by executing some eye-catching tackles from left-back 7

GRIFFITH: Holding midfielder offered his more attack-minded colleagues the insurance to get forward 8

SHUKER: Made plenty of intelligent runs to find pockets of space, and was unlucky not to earn a first-half penalty 7

MARSHALL: Delivered a few dangerous deliveries into the box and rarely wasted possession before hobbling off 7

DODDS: Enjoyed his attacking assignment and was only denied a goal by the excellence of keeper Matt Duke 7

RICHARDS: Worked his socks off for little reward, but his industry benefited his team-mates who played off him to good affect 7

RIGG: Ran Northampton ragged at times during the first half and showed admirable composure to net his side's decisive second goal 8

SUBSTITUTES

MORSY (for Marshall 78): Made a solid contribution to help see his side over the finishing line 5

OWEN (for Shuker 82): His organisational skills proved vital late on 5

WILLIAMSON (for Rigg 88): Retained possession well in the dying moments 5

Not used: Martin, James.

NORTHAMPTON TOWN: Duke, Johnson, Carlisle, Langmead, Adams, Silva (Tozer, 61), Guttridge, Harding, Jacobs, Akinfenwa, Williams (Robinson, 73). Not used: Young, Webster, Kitson.

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