Report from Gigg Lane
Bury v Port Vale
Attendance: 4,042 including 1,298 visiting supporters
At Gigg Lane
League One
September 2016
rdSaturday 3
Vale’s superb defensive record since the start of the season was shot to pieces at Gigg Lane by a hard working Bury side, who showed their own ambition hitting four goals to lif themselves up the table.
Nathan Smith was on the score sheet again with his third goal of the season, but all to no avail as Vale struggled with not only their opponents, but the conditions.
Fortunately for the Valiants, results elsewhere went in their favour and despite the defeat Bruno Ribeiro’s side finished the game only four points off the top of the table.
Vale made two enforced changes from the eleven who started against Scunthorpe United the previous weekend, with Anythony Grant and Paulo Tavares the two players to drop out.
Tavares was fit enough to take his place on the Vale bench, whilst Grant wasn’t in the squad – that meant starts for both Sebastien Amoros and Anthony de Freitas.
Incessant rain before the game and at kick off meant for a tricky Gigg Lane playing surface with the ball holding up in the rain, making it difficult for Vale to impose their game on the home side.
GOAL: to slot home.James Vaughan minute. Vale were caught out when the ball suddenly stopped in a pool of water, it was then played inside for thIt was Bury to took full advantage of the conditions as early as the 6
It didn’t dampen spirits too much amongst the Vale contingent at the other end of the ground, they were still in fine voice, getting right behind the team.
minute Anthony de Freitas was withdrawn and his place taken by Martin Paterson, who slotted in alongside Anthony Forrester up front.thVale made an early change when in the 15
Both sides were finding it difficult to play football and conditions were not improving with the rain still coming down quite heavy.
GOAL: fired home from 20 yards.Jacob Mellis minute when ndIt didn’t seem to affect the way the home side went about their business, however, and they doubled their lead in the 22
GOAL:Just eight minutes later, one of the league’s strongest defences was breached once again when Vale were guilty of backing off in front of Jak Alnwick’s goal, giving James Vaughan the opportunity to fire home his second and the Shakers’ third from 16 yards.
Vale were beginning to look very much second best by a Bury side whose confidence had obviously been lifted by the events in the opening half hour of the game.
Whilst Vale continued to struggle with the conditions, you could argue that it was the same for both sides, but if anything, it was Vale’s passing game that was least suited to a rain-soaked Gigg Lane pitch.
minute when Ismail went past Kjell Knops to send in a cross to the near post, but Vaughan’s header hit the side-netting.thVaughan was close to a hat-trick goal in the 45
Vale made a substitution at the start of the second half, new signing Gezim Shalaj coming to in place of Alex Jones on the right hand side.
Within three minutes of the restart Anton Forrester was forced off with what looked like hamstring problem and replaced in a straight swap by Rigino Cicilia.
GOAL: again who bundled the ball home from close range.NATHAN SMITHWith a lot of the travelling supporters leaving early after seeing enough, Vale pulled a goal back to give themselves some hope and it was the man
Moments later Jak Alnwick was called into action at the other end, throwing himselve in the way opf Hallam Hope’s shot from the edge of the box.
minute when the home side hit a fourth goal.rdVale’s football had improved vastly and they looked like they were capable of pulling a second goal back, going close on a couple of occasions, but it all went pear-shaped in the 73
GOAL: homing in on goal and his shot took a defection to see it loop over the head of Alnwick.Hallam HopeRigino Cicilia was clattered on the halfway line by two players and the ball ran free for Bury, with substitute
BURY: Anthony Dudley, Kean Bryan, Scott Burgess, Paul Rahubka, Tom Walker, Hallam Hope,SUBS:Ben Williams, Greg Leigh, Antony Kay, Zeli Ismail, Danny Mayor, Tom Pope, James Vaughan, Jacob Mellis, Tom Soares, Niall Maher, Leon Barnett.
Emeka Obi.
Ryan Boot, Calvin Mac-Intosch, Rigino Cicilia, Martin Paterson, Quentin Pereira, Gezim Shalaj, Paulo Tavares.SUBS: Jak Alnwick, Ben Purkiss, Remie Streete, Nathan Smith, Kjell Knops, Alex Jones, Anthony de Freitas, Sam Foley, Sebastien Amoros, Jerome Thomas, Anton Forrester. PORT VALE: