Port Vale-Peterborough 0-1
Trots en heroisk insats fick Port Vale se sig slagna av topplaget Peterborough i lördagens toppmatch på Vale Park inför 6.311 åskådare. Det var en match som hemmalaget verkligen försökte vinna.
Mickey Adams var redan tillbaka på avbytarbänken efter sin höft operation även om han kanske inte var så rörlig som han brukar vara.
Hemmalaget höll spelet väl uppe i den första halvleken och hade de lite vassare chanserna. Tom Pope och Chris Lines hade flera halvchanser, men bollen ville inte in. Peterborough hade sina chanser också och spelet kan väl bäst beskrivas som böljande. Domaren verkade gilla sin kortlek och delade ut fyra gula kort i den första halvleken.
Det böljande spelet fortsatte i den andra halvleken, men sista kvarten pressade Port Vale på för ett ledningsmål och lyfte upp försvaret. Men som så ofta straffade det sig då man öppnade upp ytor för bortalagets anfallare på en fin genombrottslöpning kunde Tyrone Barnett överlista Chris Neal i hemmamålet med dryga fem minuter kvar av ordinarie speltid. Trots en stark forcering och flera målchanser ville in bollen inte in i mål och Peterborough kunde vinna med matchens enda mål.
Peterboroughs manager Darren Ferguson sade efter matchen följande: “-It was a bit of magic from the big man, a bit of individual brilliance to win the game from him. It doesn't really matter whether Tyrone is on the transfer list or not. Every player has their price but you can see how he is playing and enjoying his football. I thought we played into their hands by not moving the ball quick enough but it's always the sign of a good side that you can win games when you haven't played that well. We weren't quick enough in the first half but we stepped it up a gear in the second half. We changed Craig Alcock in the first half as he had just got booked and I thought Mark Little did gat when he came on. We played with a bit more tempo in the final third later in the game and that proved decisive. Bobby Olejnik didn't really have too much to do and my two centre-halves coped very well with Lee Hughes and Tom Pope - they are a big, physical presence up there for them. We now have a winning mentality and you need that in a tough league.” Mickey Adams konstaterade “-I thought it was a great effort from the lads. We won tackles and clearances. We could be slightly critical with what we did when we went forward but we were playing against a very good team and to lose a goal at the death like that, that could have easily been avoided, is very disappointing. It is gutting. I think that our game plan was spot on. The effort and enthusiasm, all the things we lacked against Rochdale, was there. The surgeon will have a fit when he sees I have been out on the sidelines. He wanted me to rest. I am feeling a bit tired at the moment but nothing beats being on the touchline.”
Port Vale blev tidigare i veckan utslagna av Rochdale i Johnstones Paint Trophy hemma på Vale Park. Närmast möter Port Vale Mickey Adams gamla klubb Sheffield United borta på Bramall Lane. The Blades har börjat serien allt annat än bra och ligger idag på nedflyttningsplats.
