FANS GET BOOST AS VALE BATTLE BACK AT CHARLTON TO CURE AWAYDAY BLUES
Port Vale write Clive Youlton continues his look back over the 2023-24 season by recalling the Valiants’ 3-2 win at Charlton on August 19...
SEVEN months and 18 days since the last time Port Vale won a game of football away from home, they finally broke their duck.
Having taken four points off two ex-premier League clubs in successive League One games, in Blackpool and Reading, Andy Crosby’s side edged past another, Charlton Athletic, 3-2 in south east London. This after trailing 1-0 at half-time.
Crosby’s men had scored just a single goal in their opening three League One matches but they grabbed all three in the next one which gave the club a real lift.
James Wilson – making his first start of the season – notched the first while Ethan Chislett, who worryingly for Vale limped off injured, and the magnificent Funso Ojo, added others which were enough to see Vale record an away victory for the first time since New Year’s Day.
They had big performers wherever you cared to look, not least Ojo, who, for the winner, cleared the ball from his own penalty box before getting on the end of the move he started following a lung-busting run.
While Vale looked dishevelled at times when out of possession in the first half, allowing Charlton too much space to play, you couldn’t fault their doggedness in the second half as they battled back to secure victory.
They trailed to a penalty scored by Alfie May after 10 minutes when keeper Connor Ripley was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Kanu by an over-exuberant referee’s assistant.
Charlton might have scored again before the break and Vale had Ojo to thank for an immaculate tackle on the rampaging Corey Blacketttaylor who was clear on Ripley.
Charlton created other moments of concern.
The second-half turnaround was remarkable and, in front of the travelling fans, Chislett’s brilliant free-kick was nodded home by Wilson, before Chislett himself took his chance superbly a couple of minutes later for 2-1.
It was a peach of a goal. Chislett had become a specialist at AFC Wimbledon from dead balls and his quality was there for all to see again as he whipped in a stinging cross towards goal for Wilson’s header.
The second goal, two minutes later, came after Conor Grant hoofed a ball upfield and the Charlton defence made a complete hash of clearing it as Chislett darted on to the ball, his first touch taking him to the edge of the area, his second sending the ball powerfully past Ashley Maynardbrewer’s left arm and into the net.
From a goal down, suddenly Vale were 2-1 up and in dreamland.
But on 60 minutes, Chislett ended up on the deck injured and he was escorted gingerly off.
Daniel Kanu’s looping header for Chralton then made its way over the helpless dive of Ripley and into the top corner for 2-2.
From that moment Vale defenders Alex Iacovetti, Nathan Smith and Dan Jones got in the way of everything and Ripley made two vital saves, one when he hurled himself in the way of May’s effort.
Vale substitute Josh Thomas’s fantastic determination earned Ojo – who showed superb support play with a willing run – the third and the visitors were forced into a rearguard action to see out the last four minutes plus a whopping nine minutes of stoppage time.
A backs-to-the-wall finale had ended in Vale’s favour and there was delight for the travelling hordes.
The win wasn’t without its share of luck, though, as Charlton skipper George Dobson somehow headed wide with a free header from eight yards at the death. That victory put Vale up to ninth in the League One table and Crosby reflected: “To come back from behind the way they did was a credit to their character.”
Crosby was delighted for Wilson who scored his first goal of the season in his first start and he said: “It was great that he could start the game. His application and quality in training has been brilliant.
“We have built him up fitnesswise in the time he has been back with us. And he was ready. It’s a tough start, five games in 15 days, to keep playing, and freshen things up. Credit to Willow [Wilson]. We then had a really good impact off the bench from Gavin [Massey], [James] Plant, Lowey [Jason Lowe], Mitch [Clark] and Josh [Thomas]. Five changes on a hot day in London. So yes, I’m pleased.”
Chislett enthused: “We are four unbeaten which goes back to the unity in the group.
“The first game was quite dark after Barnsley and we don’t like to mention it. I think we can now class that as a blip. The team is so strong and we can give credit to the gaffer [Andy Crosby] and the club for that.”
Looking back now, it’s hard to work out where it all went wrong.
Barnsley was certainly a blip back on the first Saturday in August but there were many setbacks to come in what was to become a season to forget.
Meanwhile, Crosby insisted Vale were still trying to add to the squad ahead of the transfer deadline and he stated: “If the right player becomes available we will be ready to act.
“We would like to bring someone in and in an ideal world would have liked to have our full squad available from day dot at the start of pre-season.
“It’s not the case so when the window closes we will have the group we’ve got. I’m delighted with who we have brought in so far. Their application and their effort and how they have grown together on and off the pitch.”
There remained a doubt over whether Ellis Harrison would remain at Vale and he did eventually leave for MK Dons.
That might be viewed as a mistake by some as there was no obvious replacement.
But one forward who was ticking the boxes for Crosby was Wilson.
“Since James came back he hasn’t missed a training session,” he continued. “We had to be careful with him when we went to Spain. And we have modified his load in certain sessions and there are some where he has been in the gym while others have been out on the grass but he has completed every session he has been asked to do. He feels more robust. His fitness levels are good and he feels more robust in his body, both mentally and physically.”
More famous last words. It wouldn’t be too long before Wilson’s body was bust again rather than robust.