Port Vale: Young Vale side made to pay for inexperience
EXPERIENCE was the key as a young Port Vale reserve team lost 2-0 to Walsall's second string on the Bycars training pitches yesterday.
The Saddlers' team comprised 10 players with first-team football behind them, and it told as they exploited a couple of Vale mistakes to claim victory.
Vale coach Mick Ede said: "It's always difficult to get things to gel when you have four trialists coming into a young side against what was a good Walsall line-up.
"Having said that, we settled down after about 20 minutes and tried to play some decent football.
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"We just got caught a couple of times for the goals, and their extra experience proved to be the difference on that score."
Two of the trialists, Graham Hutchinson and Jack Deaman, were both central defenders from Birmingham City. The other two were midfielders – Malcolm Melvin (Aston Villa) and Bradley Robinson (Manchester City).
The visitors got off to a flying start while the unfamiliar Vale line-up was bedding in.
Deaman impressed when he halted Omari Sterling on the edge of the Vale penalty box with a crunching tackle.
But it was Sterling who gave Walsall the lead on 13 minutes with a fierce shot from the edge of the box.
A long ball from the back saw Macauley Davies beaten to the ball by the advancing David Grof as Vale attempted to hit back.
Ollie Marland and Josh Croft then linked up well on the right before sending the ball over for Scottish under-17s international Malcolm Melvin, but his effort was blocked.
At the other end, a mistake by Deaman allowed George Bowerman to advance, but his shot was saved by Ryan Boot in the Vale goal.
Boot was also on his toes early in the second period to save from James Baxendale and then Ashley Hemmings in quick succession.
At the other end, Marland had a shot saved at the second attempt by Walsall's substitute keeper Liam Roberts on 52 minutes.
Vale were now coming more into the game, and Hutchinson headed a corner wide as the hosts threatened an equaliser on 72 minutes.
But Walsall sealed victory 15 minutes from time when the ball broke to Ben Purkiss in the Vale box and he lashed it home from eight yards out.
Port Vale: Boot, Evans, Lander (Warner, 54), Whieldon, Hutchinson, Deaman, Croft, Melvin, Marland, M Davies, (Swarby, 60), Robinson (Pryor, 67). Not used: J Hemmings, Price.
Walsall: Grof (Roberts, 46), George, Benning, Purkiss, Holden, Featherstone, Baxendale, Taundry (Hawker, 62), Bowerman, Sterling (Flanagan, 70), A Hemmings. Not used: Griffiths, Heat.
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