United 1 Port Vale 2
Match Sponsor: BROOKWELLS
Man of the Match: GUY BRANSTON
It was another afternoon of 'what if?' at Plainmoor as United went down to another single goal defeat - their 10th of the league campaign so far. Despite some patches of good possession and good football they succumb to a goal in each half in a match that never quite lived up to the threat of providing a good quality ninety minutes.
Bucks made four changes from the team that took to the field against Hereford; new signings Ashley Barnes & Mo Camara made their debuts at centre forward and left back respectively while Lee Mansell and Kieran Charnock returned to the starting line-up. Guy Branston made his home debut for the Gulls in his third appearance.
There was a subdued start to the match with both teams sizing each other up and neither goalkeeper was forced into any proper action during the opening ten minutes. The pitch was cutting up slightly as events progressed but at this stage of the season it is in far better condition than many around the country and was certainly no excuse for either team's failings on the day.
In the 15th minute Mo Camara dropped a superb cross field pass over the Vale defence onto the chest of Ashley Barnes who chested the ball down and forced Martin into a smart save from Barnes' left foot volley. Shortly after that effort and after some neat passing on the edge of the Vale area Jake Thomson hit a first time shot from the angle but it didn't trouble Martin in the visitor's goal.
Michael Poke made a good save to tip a deflected Davies shot over the crossbar after Port Vale broke away in the 24th minute but it was a rare attacking moment in a match where United were having most of the possession.
United were playing some neat short and long passing with new signing Mo Camara showing good awareness with a couple of inch perfect long range passes. Lee Mansellwas putting himself about in central midfield and Eunan O'Kane was booked for a tackle on Rigg as United put themselves about.
Despite United's positive approach and hard work they fell a goal behind three minutes from the break. A hotly contested free kick was awarded to Vale on the edge of the United area and Richards struck a low shot which was deflected off Lee Mansell and into the path of Haldane who couldn't miss from seven yards. It was harsh on United but they now had to roll their sleeves up and pull themselves back into this match.
Goal: United 0 Port Vale 1 (Haldane 42)
Half-Time: United 0 Port Vale 1
There was a change at the break for United with Michael Poke seeming to limp off at the end of the first half and Scott Bevan replacing him between the sticks. It was later confirmed that Michael did indeed have a groin injury.
United started the second half in a positive manner and Lee Mansell forced Martin into a low one handed tip around the post and almostbeat him again moments later with a right foot volley from 20 yards which Martin could only watch as it went narrowly wide of the far post.
With United on top at the start of the second period Bucks made a change in the 56th minute with Elliot Benyon replacing Jake Thomson. The change brought immediate rewards with United equalising straight away; a Lee Mansell free kick was headed down by Guy Branston and Chris Zebroski got a foot in to push the ball back across goal where Benyon got to the ball before Martin and turned the ball in with his first touch.
Goal: United 1 (Benyon 56) Port Vale 1
Port Vale were wobbling now and United had a head of steam up as they pushed for a second goal to completely turn the match. Ashley Barnes produced some good, tight control just inside the Vale area and his shot on the turn was inches wide of the far post with Martin a spectator.
Port Vale were looking to calm play down and gain a foothold back into the match and got more than they could have hoped for as they retook the lead. A long ball from the left by Haldane was crossed low back across goal by substitute Dodds and Richards got to the ball first to smash home from point blank range.
Goal: United 1 Port Vale 2 (Richards 67)
Kieran Charnock stopped United falling further behind when he produced an excellent block to stop Davies scoring a third for the visitors. After falling behind again United couldn't seem to produce a sustained period of pressure in their opponents half although Ashley Barnes was inches away from drawing the Gulls level with a stooping header from substitute Danny Stevens' corner as the clock ticked down.
There was plenty of effort from United, which can never be doubted from virtually every player in a yellow shirt at the moment, but Vale weren't put under a big enough period of pressure as the match reached its conclusion. United have expected and been put under a tonne of pressure in the closing stages of recent games but today they couldn't do the same to their opponents and Vale had a far easier final stages ride than they must of been expecting.
At the death Davies struck a cross-shot that Scott Bevan did well to palm behind for a corner and it would have been harsh on United to concede three. Neither team really did enough to deserve the three points but Vale went home with them, it wasn't quite an 'ugly' win by Vale but United would happily play ten times worse and collect maximum points any time soon.
Full-Time: United 1 Port Vale 2
