Port Vale 1 Rotherham 2

Steve Shaw reports from Vale Park.

LUKE Prosser turned from hero to villain as 10-man Port Vale once again conceded an injury-time goal to hand Rotherham a 2-1 victory.

The 21-year-old defender marked his latest recall to the side by heading home Vale's first-half equaliser to cancel out a goal from Millers substitute Stephen Brogan.

It was only Prosser's second career goal and his first of the campaign.

But his ecstasy turned to agony at the end of the half when he was dismissed after picking up two quick bookings.

Vale battled valiantly in the second half in their bid to earn what would have been a valuable point.

But Nick Law's injury-time goal halted the club's six-match unbeaten run in League Two.

The agonising finish came just seven days after Vale conceded a last-gasp equaliser in their 1-1 draw against FA Cup rivals Stevenage.

Prosser replaced the injured centre-half Gareth Owen to make only his second start of the season.

Owen suffered a double cheekbone fracture in Tuesday's Johnstone's Paint Trophy penalties defeat at Bradford City.

Vale boss Micky Adams made three other changes to his midweek line-up.

Central midfielder Jason Jarrett made way for Anthony Griffth, while attacker Lewis Haldane was recalled at the expense of Rob Taylor.

Meanwhile, top scorer Marc Richards was restored to the starting line-up as loan striker Jamie Guy dropped to the bench.

Transfer-listed forward Danny Glover was named in the match-day squad for the first time this season.

The 20-year-old was rewarded for netting two goals for the club's reserve side in midweek when they hammered Walsall 5-1 on their own turf.

Fellow striker James Lawrie is on international duty with Northern Ireland's under-21 squad.

Former Crewe striker – and Vale fan – Tom Pope had to settle for a place on Rotherham's bench.

While driving rain made way for sunshine, the home faithful were muted in the early stages as Rotherham pressed forward.

In the opening five minutes full-back Dale Tonge and winger Kevin Ellison saw their long-range efforts deflected wide.

The masses were momentarily awakened in the fifth minute when Louis Dodds almost latched onto a long ball.

However Millers keeper Andy Warrington did well to smother the ball.

On 10 minutes the lively Haldane was chopped down on the left by Tonge.

Skipper Tommy Fraser played the resulting set-piece to an unmarked Kris Taylor, who blazed over from the edge of the box before Ellison missed the target from 25 yards.

An injured Ellison was forced to retreat from the action on 15 minutes.

The end product from both sides was derisory at times as the game struggled to ignite.

On 25 minutes Vale boss Micky Adams vented his frustration at the fourth official after Griffith was adjudged to have fouled Law.

Adams received a telling off from referee Peter Quinn for disputing the decision.

Brogan's subsequent free-kick eventually fell to Nick Fenton whose 10-yard strike was saved by Martin diving to his right.

On 28 minutes, Martin produced an even better save with an excellent tip-over to deny Adam Le Fondre's bullet from distance.

But The Millers did break the deadlock on 31 minutes, when Vale's recent worrying trend of being vulnerable at crosses continued to blight their progress.

Tonge played a one-two with Le Fondre on the right before the full-back's whipped-in cross was headed home by the onrushing Brogan from close range.

Rotherham's goal seemed to spark Vale into life, though, and they found an equaliser just five minutes later when the ball was fed to Adam Yates down the right flank.

The wing-back's excellent out-swinging deep delivery to the far post found an unmarked Prosser whose six-yard downward header went inside of the near left-hand post.

The first half finished on a chaotic note as Prosser received his first booking for scything down Fenton.

Richards and Fenton clashed in the aftermath of Prosser's challenge and, although it was only a case of handbags at Dawn, their actions earned them a caution apiece.

Prosser was given his marching orders one minute into first-half injury-time after stopping Le Fondre in his tracks by tugging his shirt.

Vale were forced to revert from a 3-4-3 system to a more defensive 4-4-1 as a result of the dismissal as the crowd turned on Quinn.

Neither side created any chances of note until Richards raced onto a through ball in the 59th minute.

The striker managed to lift the ball over the onrushing Warrington but his effort drifted well wide of the left-hand post.

On 66 minutes Yates produced an excellent challenge to deny Brogan a shot on goal from 10 yards, before Richards fired over from 25 yards.

Five minutes later Law burst through the middle, and with McCombe in hot pursuit, he guided a cultured 25-yard shot just past the right-hand post.

Pope made his entrance on 73 minutes, replacing fellow striker Drewe Broughton.

The game maintained its frenetic pace, but Rotherham seemed incapable of carving open a meaningful chance.

In the last minute they caused a minor scare when Paul Warne stabbed Law's cross wide from eight yards.

And Law ensured Rotherham escaped Burslem with a point two minutes into injury time when he guided a 10-yarder into the corner after latching onto Warne's through ball.

TEAMS

Port Vale: Martin, Yates, Prosser, Collins, McCombe, K Taylor, Fraser, Loft, Griffith, Dodds, Richards, Haldane (R Taylor, 88).

Not used: Anyon, Glover, Jarrett, Glover, Loft, Howland.

Rotherham United: Warrington, Tonge, Sharps, Fenton, Nicholas, Warne, Law, Mills, Ellison (Brogan, 15), Le Fondre, Broughton (Pope, 73).

Not used: Annerson, Harrison, Lynch, Haggerty, Taylor.

Referee: Peter Quinn (Cleveland)

Attendance: 4,788 (including 350 visitors)