Brilliant Bury gave Port Vale a 4-1 thumping in League One –
BURY manager David Flitcroft backed James Vaughan to fire “20-plus goals” this season after watching the former Everton striker net twice as his side thrashed Port Vale at a rain-soaked Gigg Lane.
Vaughan, who still holds the record for being the Premier League’s youngest ever scorer, bagged a brace either side of a Jacob Mellis piledriver as the Shakers ran riot in the first half.
Nathan Smith replied for Vale after the break but Bury substitute Hallam Hope put paid to any hopes of a comeback late on.
Flitcroft singled out Vaughan for special praise afterwards stating that the only thing that can stop his prolific new striker – he already has three in two games – is his fitness.
“The guy is all out,” Flitcroft said of Vaughan. “He is completely all-action, he’s so robust, so dynamic and I’ve got to ease him off at times because his injury record is there and I want him to play as many games as he can for us this season.
“He’ll get his 20-plus goals, there’s no doubt about that.
“But what I’m not going to allow him to do is pick up an injury that’s probably unnecessary.
“We’ve got to condition him and protect him from injuries.”
Bury took the lead in comical fashion in the sixth minute when Ben Purkiss’ backpass to Jak Alnwick stopped dead on the sodden pitch allowing Tom Pope to square the ball to Vaughan, who side-footed into the empty net.
The Shakers doubled their lead in much more spectacular fashion in the 22nd minute when Mellis arrowed a wonderful 30-yard shot into the top corner past the sprawling Alnwick.
The rampant hosts made it three on the half hour when Danny Mayor danced his way past several Vale challenges to tee up Vaughan, who thumped home into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area to send the home fans wild.
Vale pulled a goal back in the 58th minute when Martin Paterson’s flick-on was bundled over the line by Smith.
But Hope extinguished any chance of a Vale comeback in the 73rd minute when his longrange shot deflected off Smith and looped cruelly over Alnwick to compound a miserable afternoon for the visitors, one which Vale boss Bruno Ribeiro took full responsibility for.
“It is a bad day for us, a bad game” he said.
“First half, (we were) very, very bad but it is my fault, never the players. When we lose it is my fault.
“The attitude in the first half was not correct. We changed our attitude in the second half but after 45 minutes and three goals it is difficult to change things.
“The performance is not good, it is not my football, we need to see the video, see the goals and explain to the players how to improve.”