Port Vale book League One spot at Wembley

Port Vale secured their place in League One next season with a 3-0 victory at Wembley over ten-man Mansfield Town.

It was Mansfield Town who had the first opportunity of the game when James Gibbons let a harmless Port Vale ball go past into the path of Jamie Murphy, whose header was straight at Aidan Stone. 

There was a warning for Mansfield when Kian Harratt just clipped the post with a strike after neat build-up play by Port Vale. Harratt was already celebrating until he realised the chance hit the post but it didn’t matter – he was celebrating a minute later anyway. 

James Wilson picked up the ball in midfield and played a fine pass to put former Mansfield man Mal Benning in plenty of space on the left. Benning’s low ball took a deflection and Harratt did well to get down and deliver a low header past Nathan Bishop. 

Four minutes later and the Valiants had doubled their lead. This time the goal came from a cross from the right that Ben Garrity met with a looping header that bounced off the bar with James Wilson the first person to react and nod the ball home. 

Things went from bad to worse for Nigel Clough’s side in the 35th minute when Oliver Hawkins received a second yellow card for a foul on Wilson. While Hawkins could be forgiven for just losing out to Wilson to get the ball, his manager will be furious about the nature of the first yellow card he received for a pointless raised arm in the box.

Despite being down to ten men, Mansfield had a brilliant chance to pull one back. Stephen McLaughlin’s freekick was dropped by Aidan Stone with Rhys Oates quick to react to tap the ball home… until Connor Hall made the clearance in the nick of time. 

Mansfield found it difficult to make Port Vale nervous in the second half with Oates looking lively.

Vale had two efforts ruled out for offside as they attempted to finish the game off. First, a low corner that Harratt buried from close range with the teenager ahead of play. Then substitute and former Mansfield player Harry Charsley put a fine finish past Bishop, but he too was well offside. 

So it was a different ex-Stag who sealed the result in the 85th minute. David Worrall did well on the right to keep the ball in play and put in a looping cross that Benning read well and found the net to make it 3-0 and effectively seal Port Vale’s promotion to League One. 

Meanwhile, Stags fans will be thinking ‘what if?’ about Murphy’s early chance and whether they would have been able to fight back with 11 men on the pitch.

However, it was a fine performance from Darrell Clarke’s team who were well on top even before the sending off. 

𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏!

🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/UaHEE47gTr

— Port Vale FC (@OfficialPVFC) May 28, 2022