Port Vale: Rigg puts horror assault behind him to rebuild career with Vale
The Pirates went on to secure a 3-2 victory, but the game will be remembered for an act that left the 21-year-old attacker with a double fracture of the jaw.
In only his 11th Rovers appearance, Rigg suffered the horrific injury after being struck in the face by Barrow defender James Cotterill.
The incident was captured by television cameras and Cotterill was later jailed after admitting a charge of grievous bodily harm.
Rigg, who has joined Vale on loan from Rovers until January 2, reflected: "It was one of my first games for Rovers, which was really disappointing because it set me back a bit.
"I unexpectedly got punched from behind for no reason.
"I didn't aggravate Cotterill in any way for him to react like that. But it happened and he broke my jaw in two places.
"It was obviously going to be in the press and I expected it because things like that don't happen very often.
"But that's all sorted out now and it's in the past."
Rigg made a quick recovery, making his comeback little more than two months later in Rovers' home stalemate with Chester on January 20, 2007.
That day he played alongside fellow Vale loanee Lewis Haldane – and that season they helped Rovers win promotion from League Two with Rigg hitting the last goal of their 5-3 play-off semi-final win over Lincoln City.
In May 2007, he was a second-half substitute at Wembley when Rovers sealed promotion with a 3-1 play-off final victory over Shrewsbury Town.
Rigg, who was born in Wotton-under-Edge, joined the Rovers-backed Bristol Academy of Sport at Filton College before earning his first professional contract in the summer of 2006.
He went on to score three goals in 75 appearances including 19 starts.
But now he is striving to kick-start his stuttering professional career in Burslem after being placed on the transfer list by Rovers boss Paul Trollope.
The versatile attacker, whose contract at Rovers expires at the end of the season, has made just one appearance for Rovers this term.
However, in late August he secured a loan move to Forest Green Rovers and went on to hit seven goals in 19 games for the Blue Square Premier Division side.
"I'm hoping to do well at Vale, because being put on the transfer-list was disappointing," added Rigg.
"I definitely want to stay in the league and do as well as I can.
"You have your ups and downs all the time in football, but you have to keep your head down, stick at it and you'll get what you deserve.
"There were a few other clubs that showed an interest in me. But I think I've made the right choice coming to Vale as they've got a good bunch of lads and I think they can definitely push up the table."
STEVE SHAW
JAW BREAK: Vale loanee Sean Rigg.
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