Vale snatch dramatic injury-time winner at high-flying Shrews
Steve Shaw reports from the Prostar Stadium
THE Dean Glover era began in dramatic fashion at high-flying Shewsbury Town as Marc Richards's injury-time goal handed Port Vale a sensational victory.
The visitors deserved their triumph after refusing to lie down when the Shrews scored an 88th-minute leveller, following Louis Dodds's excellent first-half opener.
But Richards snatched the three points for Vale moments after defender Lee Collins had been sent off for a second bookable offence.
New boss Glover made two changes to the team that suffered a 2-1 home loss against Notts County last week. Centre-half John McCombe was hauled at half time against the Magpies and was replaced by the versatile Paul Edwards. McCombe was again replaced, this time in the starting line-up, by Edwards who was making his first start of the season after recovering from a serious ankle injury.
Striker Luke Rodgers was denied the chance of facing his former club and had to settle for a place on the bench, while centre midfielder Dave Howland was handed a recall to make his first start since Vale's 4-1 drubbing by Macclesfield Town, which led to the dismissal of former boss Lee Sinnott.
Glover started with a five-man midfield with Dodds and Shane Tudor driving up the left and right flanks respectively to support lone striker Richards.
Midfielder Damien McCrory arrived on a month's loan earlier this week and joined Rodgers on the bench.
High-flying Shrews, still purring following their 7-0 Johnstone's Paint success against Wycombe in mid-week, were without suspended nine-goal striker Grant Holt. The former Nottingham Forest forward was replaced by Richard Walker. He lined up alongside former Valiant David Hibbert.
On a slick surface, the match took on an open feel and the visitors showed they weren't content to simply sit back. In the third minute, Town defender Mike Jackson was called into action to block Ross Davidson's 20-yarder.
The ball fell to Stockley on the right whose dangerous cross was cleared by midfielder Sean Thornton.
Vale's first shot on target came on seven minutes when they earned a free-kick from 30 yards in a central position. Skipper Richards took it, but could only direct a weak, low effort into the arms of Shrews keeper Luke Daniels.
The home side were failing to find their rhythm, with the Valiants snapping at their heels at every opportunity. Although they came close to scoring in the 10th minute, when defender Graham Coughlan was just inches from converting a Ben Davies left-flank corner at the far post.
Davidson was booked, adjudged to have left his foot in a challenge on Daniels in the 11th minute.
Collins followed him into the referee's book three minutes later for a late challenge on Davies on the left flank.
Davies took the resulting free kick which was powered into the net by the head of Jackson, but thankfully for Vale, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Vale continued to come forward, often dangerously on the break, and Edwards enjoyed some joy attacking down the left.
And it was Glover's men who broke the deadlock in the 19th minute with a fantastic team goal.
Centre midfielder Anthony Griffith picked the ball up deep in a central position and played a neat one-two with Edwards. He then moved forward with poise and played the ball into the feet of Richards who fed Tudor. The resurgent midfield played Dodds through on goal, but with still plenty to do, he ran on to the ball in the right channel and crashed his unstoppable 18-yard shot into the net via a deflection off the bottom of the bar.
Shrews were intent on replying straight away, and Prosser did well to block Hibbert's shot from 16 yards on 22 minutes. Walker followed up but could only guide his shot into Anyon's arms from 22 yards.
Vale's impressive travelling support, numbering nearly 1,000, were buoyant while a few boos could suddenly be heard from the home crowd, frustrated by their side's lack of cutting edge in the final third.
Hibbert failed to threaten Anyon's goal with a 25th-minute header before Dodds almost doubled his, and Vale's tally, two minutes later.
Tudor crossed it for Dodds from the right and his header swept wide of the left-hand post.
Vale's defence went to sleep soon after in the 29th minute. Tierney clipped the ball over the defence where an unmarked Walker lobbed the ball over Anyon's goal.
Moments later, Edwards became Vale's third player to receive a caution for chopping down Thornton on the edge of the box.
Full-back Ben Herd returned the compliment in the 32nd minute when he fouled Edwards to land Town's first booking.
Walker then flicked on a long ball which appeared to send Hibbert through on goal, but Collins was on hand to execute a superb recovery tackle.
With three minutes to go before half-time, Thornton's eight-yard header just cleared the bar from Herd's cross.
And there was still time for Vale to counter once more when Tudor broke clear. He fed Dodds on the right, whose cross was met by Richards, but, under pressure, couldn't get any power on his angled header.
Glover made one change at half-time by replacing Tudor with youngster Simon Richman.
An early Shrews onslaught after the break never materialised. And when Davidson fed Richards on the edge of the box, the striker turned and skidded a shot which Daniels comfortably collected.
The fluid nature of Vale's five-man midfield was allowing them to defend in numbers but also attack with potency as Davidson, Griffith and Howland interchanged positions.
Just before the hour mark though, Davies crossed to the near post, and with Thornton closing in on the loose ball at the far post, Prosser produced a crucial interception.
Untypically, in this match, Vale started looking a little nervy at the back as Stockley failed to clear a corner, and were relieved to hear the whistle when Anyon was fouled.
In the 69th minute, McIntyre delivered a free-kick from the left, Anyon failed to get distance on his punched clearance, but Jackson was unable to make use of his follow-up header.
Two minutes later and Davidson smashed a power-drive just over, before Walker clipped the top of the bar with his own strike.
Rodgers, got a decent reception from the crowd when he entered the fray on 79 minutes, replacing Davidson.
McCrory came on for Edwards to make his first senior start on 84 minutes.
Shrewsbury had enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the second half without creating too many telling chances. But with two minutes of normal time left, they hit the equaliser.
Stockley did well to block a Davies strike on the right-hand side of the box. But the ball fell to substitute Michael Symes in more central position, and from 20 yards, drove his 20-yarder into the bottom left-hand corner although the ball appeared to be deflected.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Collins was sent off for a second bookable offence when he brought down a Shrews attacker on the right.
But the drama kept coming and when Louis Dodds slipped Richards through on 95 minutes, the striker latched on to the ball. He took a touch and just beat Daniels to the ball to force it over the line from eight yards, securing a dramatic victory.
Daniels was injured when he tangled with Richards and was forced to go off leaving outfield player Langmead to fill in between the sticks.
And soon after referee Darren Deadman blew the final whistle to hand Vale a memorable victory.
SHREWSBURY
(Symes, 88 )
PORT VALE
(Dodds 19, Richards, 95)
TEAMS
Shrewsbury Town: Daniels, Herd, Jackson, Coughlan, Tierney, Davies, Cansdell-Sherriff (Humphrey, 69), Thornton, McIntyre, Walker (Langmead, 87), Hibbert (Symes, 69).
Not used: Garner, Ashton.
Port Vale: Anyon, Stockley, Prosser, Collins, Edwards (McCrory, 84), Tudor (Richman, 46), Davidson (Rodgers, 79), Griffith, Howland, Dodds, Richards.
Not used: Martin, Glover.
Attendance: 7,162 (including 989 visitors)
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