Crawley Town 0 Port Vale 3: Reds’ unbeaten run comes to an end

Poor defending led to the visitors scoring twice in the first half hour through Louis Dodds and Doug Loft.

Port Vale came into the game on the back of three successive defeats but there was no sign of this as the two sides reversed their recent form.

The visitors virtually made sure of the three points by adding a third goal 12 minutes into the second half, again coming from a defensive mistake by Joe Walsh and well put away by former Worthing player Ben Williamson.

Port Vale made four changes to the side which had lost 2-1 away to Sheffield Utd on Saturday.

Manager Micky Adams handed a debut to 21-year-old striker Jordan Hugill.

The newboy nearly made a dream start when he forced a diving save by Paul Jones with his first touch, a header from a cross from Chris Lines.

Emile Sinclair went close for unchanged Crawley when he shot narrowly wide from a breakaway attack.

But seconds later Port Vale took the lead. Louis Dodds intercepted an underhit backpass by Joe Walsh, rounded Paul Jones and scored a 10th minute goal from a tight angle.

Josh Simpson got forward often from his right back position and had a go on goal but saw his shot go clear of the post.

Port Vale went 2-0 up after 27 minutes when Hugill cut the ball back from the left and supplied it to curl into the net from the edge of the box.

The visitors finished the half well on top with Dodds blasting wide from the right of the area, then Lines crossed for Hugill to force Paul Jones into a full length save.

Dannie Bulman put Nicky Adams through the middle for a chance which was comfrtably stopped by keeper Chris Neal.

Finally Port Vale looked even more dominant at the end of the half as Lines sped past Walsh on the left and managed to fire a shot from a narrow angle which Paul Jones turned around for a corner.

Crawley manager Richie Barker took off centre back Kyle McFadzean and replaced him with Connor Essam.

Jamie Proctor raised temporary hope of the start of a fightback with a shot from 25 yards which flew off-target.

But Port Vale killed the game off by scoring a third goal on 57 minutes when Joe Walsh lost the ball while in possession to Ben Williamson who then beat Connor Essam before finding the net.

Barker brought on Gary Alexander and Luke Rooney for Sinclair and Bulman as he looked for a response.

A crossfield run by Adams led to Andy Drury crossing to Jamie Proctor to rise for a header but he could not get on target.

Walsh skied a long-range shot in the last few minutes as Reds struggled to make an impact.

This was the first time this season that Crawley had failed to score, a record they had impressively shared with Arsenal and Notts Forest.

REDS: P Jones, Sadler, McFadzean (Essam 46), Drury, Simpson, Walsh, Proctor, Bulman (Rooney 64), Adams, Sinclair (Alexander 58), M Jones

Unused subs: Hurst, Connolly, Torres, Alexander, Rooney, Maddison

PORT VALE: Neal, Yates, Roberston, Dickinson, Chilvers, Loft, Dodds, Lines, Williamson (Birchall 81), Griffith, Hugill (Pope 74)

Subs: Johnson, Myrie-Williams, Pope, Shuker, Duffy, Birchall, Hughes

REFEREE: Fred Graham

ATTENDANCE: 2,748 (208 away)

MAN OF THE MATCH: Nicky Adams