MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Valiants secure their return to League One by dismantling rivals Mansfield in Wembley final
SEE you in League One. Port Vale’s five-year exile in the Football League’s basement division is over after a terrific performance at Wembley saw off Mansfield Town 3-0 in the play-off final.
Goals from Kian Harratt, James Wilson and Mal Benning made the difference but that barely begins to tell the story of Vale’s climb back out of the division involving a threat of administration, close calls with relegation out of the league, a club transformed under new owners and now led to promotion by Darrell Clarke in front of 17,000 partying supporters in the club’s first game at Wembley for 26 years.
Two weeks ago, Clarke said his side needed to show him they could produce in big games.
They began to answer that with that thrilling semi-final victory over Swindon Town to reach Wembley – then went up another gear with a superb display at the national stadium.
This was Vale’s first play-off final for 29 years and talk of ‘playing the game not the occasion’ seemed a tall order just looking around at Wembley as the 37,303 crowd began to build up.
Nervous fans among Vale’s following could take their mind off things 20 minutes before kick off by watching the semi-final penalty shoot-out win being replayed on the big screen at Wembley, an experience that was a lot more enjoyable when you know who wins.
Clarke, who named an unchanged side, was on the touchline. However, the team was led out by Andy Crosby, recognition for the assistant manager who proved to be such a capable deputy in guiding the team while the manager was on compassionate leave.
Vale were defending the end behind which their supporters were massed – and mostly mortified when James Gibbons and Aidan Stone allowed a cross from the right to bounce between them to Jamie Murphy before his header was well saved by the recovering Stone.
But any fears that would set the tone for the half were forgotten as Vale started to get the ball down and play. They came within an inch of an opener on 19 minutes when Ben Garrity touched the ball back to Harratt whose first time effort from the edge of the area struck the inside of the far post.
A minute later, Wilson picked the ball up in midfield and split the Mansfield defence with a precise ball to pick out Mal Benning’s run on the left. The wing-back’s deflected cross found Harratt who after readjusting, planted a diving header past the keeper to spark bedlam amongst the Vale fans at the opposite end.
Having got the advantage, Vale showed no sign of relenting as Gibbons surged forward from right of the back three, swapped passes with captain Tom Pett but was just off balance as he fired well wide.
But there was no reprieve for Mansfield on 24 minutes when
Worrall gathered the ball on the right and stood a cross up to the back post where Garrity rose highest. The midfielder’s looping header struck the bar and rebounded to Wilson who headed home to score for the fourth successive game.
Vale were in command as Jake Taylor span away from his marker and played a perfect crossfield ball to Benning who took it in his stride and unleashed a shot well beaten away by keeper Nathan Bishop at his near post.
The game swung further to the Vale on 35 minutes when Wilson nicked the ball away from Oli Hawkins who clattered the striker and was booked – having already been carded for an off-the-ball foul on Nathan Smith.
Hawkins departed, hand to head, while, at the other end of the stadium, Vale fans were daring to chant ‘we are going up’ for the first time.
But there was a warning on 41 minutes as Stone spilled a ball in the area and Rhys Oates slotted the rebound past him – only for Hall to clear with replays showing the ball was 9/10ths over the line.
Taylor, who was having a fine game alongside Pett in central midfield, was brought down to earth when Elliott Hewitt took a swing at the ball but connected with the Vale player’s nether regions.
It could have been 3-0 but Wilson’s free-kick swerved just wide before the Stags were given a chance to reorganise at the break.
But Vale came out looking for a third goal, and came close to finding one when Taylor volleyed just wide from 25 yards.
Mansfield fans were doing their best to rally their 10 men but Vale were denied a third goal by the assistant’s flag, on 64 minutes, when Benning’s corner was played low to Wilson whose shot was blocked by the keeper before Harratt tucked the ball away from an offside position.
Clarke made his first change by bringing off Taylor for Harry Charsley, who had the ball in the net on 70 minutes, but was flagged well offside.
Stone made a flying save to keep out Oates’ strike from the edge of the area before Clarke made his second change by bringing on Jamie Proctor for Harratt, on 77 minutes.
The party could really begin, on 85 minutes, when Worrall’s cross was met by Benning who ended a run to the back post with a sliding volley into the far corner right in front of the Vale fans.
They roared about going up. After five years, they really are.