Plastic fantastic for 5-star Vale
MEMORY MATCH: Preston North End 2, Port Vale 5 (Division Two, December 12, 1992) PHIL SHERWIN RECALLS HOW PORT VALE KEPT UP THEIR 1992-93 PROMOTION CHALLENGE AT PRESTON. THE ARTICLE WAS FIRST PRINTED IN 2011...
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THE Valiants had only lost one of their previous 16 games to remain firmly in the promotion chase, but faced a Preston side on their new plastic pitch, which was briefly the flavour of the month with a handful of clubs.
Long ball merchant John Beck had just been appointed manager of Preston, and before the game 20 ball boys poured sand on the flanks to hold the ball up.
They had a problem in goal as 38-year-old Barry Siddall, the former Vale player and retired coach, was forced to play after a late injury to their regular custodian.
Vale went in front after only 36 seconds as Shaun Garnett miskicked a clearance leaving Nicky Cross with the simple task of sidefooting the ball home.
It was 1-1 with only three minutes on the clock when David Flitcroft passed to Martin Graham and he curled a shot over Paul Musselwhite.
The second half began in the same way as the first as only 45 seconds had elapsed when Vale took the lead, again through a thunderbolt 25-yard shot by Robin Van Der Laan.
John Jeffers then missed an open goal as Vale were beginning to spray the ball around on the bouncy surface.
It became 3-1 in the 68th minute when Cross eased past the defence to set up Ian Taylor and he made no mistake.
Four minutes later Jeffers sent Andy Porter free in the middle and he strode forward to make it 4-1. Preston briefly hit back in the 77th minute when Lee Ashcroft, later to have a loan spell at the Vale, scored a penalty.
Six minutes from time the scoring was complete, as Vale made it 5-2 with the best goal of the game. Martin Foyle cut in from the left, beat a defender and blasted the ball past a shell shocked Siddall for his fourth goal in successive games.
Vale went on to miss promotion by losing in the play-offs, whereas Preston were relegated.
This week’s Memory Match has been chosen by Alan Hall, a supporter for almost 30 years from Penkhull.
He remembers: “I actually started my football watching days as a Stoke supporter up until the early 1980s when I became disillusioned during the Richie Barker era.
“I had been to the Vale a few times and saw Jimmy Greenhoff playing for them, and was cajoled into going to Bury by some friends and enjoyed it so much I became a regular supporter.
“I remember the Preston game very well on their artificial pitch. Oldham had one as well, and John Rudge had to take the players to Keele University to practice, as it was the only local one around.
“It changed the way players could tackle as it used to give them leg burns. When I heard Barry Siddall was in goal it was like having a goal start, but I didn’t expect it to be so quick!
“We played really well that day and I thought we were on our way to promotion. It didn’t happen that season, but did the year after.”
John Jeffers played on the left wing that afternoon.
He said: “At the beginning of that season when we went to Holland on a pre season tour, I was at my lowest ebb and got fined for being a stone overweight.
“I’d had three operations in two years and my weight ballooned. I knuckled down though and lost 16 pounds to get back to my best weight. Around that Preston game was when I was back to my best.
“I liked to try something different and always took chances. They didn’t always come off and I accepted that I could be frustrating to watch at times, but rather that than being boring and predictable.”
John, who passed away in January 2021, began his career with Liverpool before joining Vale on loan in 1988, the move becoming permanent a few months later for £30,000.
He scored 11 goals in 219 senior appearances before leaving on a free transfer in 1995.
He also played for Shrewsbury Town (loan), Stockport County and Hednesford Town.
John Rudge was the Vale manager during that era. He says: “I expected John Beck to get up to one or two tricks, so when the ball boys put sand on the flanks I complained to the referee and he made them sweep it off.
“Becky was hoping the ball would hold up in the sand.i remembered the black day the previous May when we were relegated at Cambridge, and that’s what made this victory so sweet.
“We played great and our second half performance was probably the best of the season.”
Preston N.E: Siddall, Davidson, Fowler, Callaghan, Flynn, Garnett, Graham, Flitcroft, Ashcroft, Ellis, James. Subs – Tinkler, Burton.
Port Vale : Musselwhite, Mills, Sulley, Walker, Swan, Van Der Laan, Jeffers, Porter, Cross, Foyle, Taylor Subs – Kerr, Houchen.
Attendance: 6,038.