Match Report: Port Vale 0, Morecambe 2

PORT Vale's slim play-off hopes took another battering this afternoon as in-form Morecambe secured a deserved 2-0 victory in Burslem.

While Morecambe swept to their sixth straight League Two victory, they condemned the Valiants to their third home league defeat of the season.

The hosts made a disastrous start by allowing Shrimps loan striker Phil Jevons to hit his 13th goal of the campaign after only 25 seconds.

Veteran striker Paul Mullin netted Morecambe's second goal just before the break.

Vale boss Micky Adams welcomed back skipper Tommy Fraser to his starting line-up.

The central midfielder, who turned 22 today, returned after serving a three-match ban and replaced attacker Lewis Haldane.

The 24-year-old's loan spell from Bristol Rovers expired after Tuesday's 2-1 victory at Lincoln City.

Fraser's availability prompted Adams to slightly tinker with his 3-4-3 system, changing it to 3-5-2, as he paired Louis Dodds and Marc Richards in the forward department.

Morecambe's line-up included former Vale striker Michael Twiss. The 31-year-old striker scored two goals in 24 appearances, including 18 starts, during his one-year stay in 2000-01.

Vale were caught napping as Morecambe took the lead just 25 seconds into the game.

After quickly working the ball to an advanced central position Garry Hunter touched the ball off to Jevons who swept the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from 20 yards.

The hosts looked in a state of shock and took some minutes to recover as the Shrimps stormed forward again in the third minute.

This time Hunter cut inside Kris Taylor on the right, before his dangerous low cross was cleared by defender John McCombe at the near post.

The Valiants enjoyed their first chance on five minutes when Anthony Griffith's right-flank cross was headed over by midfielder Jason Jarrett from eight yards.

Vale began to warm to their task by playing some decent possession football in midfield.

The rampaging Rob Taylor found space down the left in the 10th minute but when Richards connected with his low cut-back the striker could only drag his 14-yard shot wide.

The game began to enjoy a more settled pattern as Fraser blazed over, seconds before Jevons almost doubled his tally and his side's advantage.

Fellow striker Mullin flicked on a long ball to send Jevons clear, but Valiants stopper Chris Martin produced a superb diving save to deflect his low angled drive beyond the far right-hand post.

Martin also had to be alert in the 23rd-minute to keep out Jevons's cute chip from 20 yards.

But Morecambe almost unravelled all their good work when Shrimps centre-back Dave Artell produced a fantastic attacking header in his own box by connecting with a Rob Taylor cross.

Luckily for Artell his keeper, Barry Roche, produced an excellent diving save to palm the ball to safety and prevent an embarrassing own goal.

Close to the half-hour mark Griffith's right-flank cross was steered wide by Richards at the near post.

Morecambe, who had showcased excellent passing play in patches, hit their second goal in the 39th minute when Jevons tried to the set Craig Stanley free in the right channel.

Doug Loft's desperate one-footed block only diverted the ball inside to an unmarked Mullin who produced a clever finish to wrong-foot Martin and send the ball into the left-hand corner.

A minute later Mullin was back in the action, this time heading wide from eight yards.

Adams responded by cutting short his half-time team talk leaving his men to stew over their first-half performance on the pitch before the second half got underway.

Meanwhile, Adams made a double substitution at the start of the second half, replacing central midfielders Jarrett and Loft for loan striker Sean Rigg and right wing-back Adam Yates.

While wing-back Griffith was switched to the centre ground to add more bite, Rigg was pushed into an advanced position as Adams reverted back to 3-4-3.

Vale almost halved the deficit in the 53rd minute from Kris Taylor's set-piece from the right as Richards's eight-yard flick-header was kept out by Roche's outstretched leg.

Further efforts from Rob Taylor, Rigg, Kris Taylor and Tommy Fraser missed the target.

Just before the hour mark Martin stood tall to beat away Twiss's drive from the left channel.

Moments later, Rob Taylor's fierce 20-yarder had to be clawed away by Roche. The wing-back, who had taken up a more advanced position lashed another long-range effort wide before doing likewise in the 69th minute.

The Valiants continued to huff and puff as striker Geoff Horsfield made his entrance on 73 minutes, replacing Fraser.

A minute later Vale pushed forward again but Kris Taylor's wild off-target effort from 30 yards suggested they were beginning to run out of ideas.

There was still time for Rob Taylor to fire another effort over the bar as Vale stuttered to the final whistle.

Match stats:

Teams:

Port Vale: Martin, Griffith, McCombe, Collins, K Taylor, R Taylor, Jarrett (Rigg, 45), Fraser (Horsfield, 72), Loft (Yates, 45), Richards, Dodds.

Not used: Anyon, Prosser, Howland, Lawrie.

Morecambe: Roche, Parrish, Artell, Haining, Wilson, Hunter, Drummond, Stanley, Twiss (Curtis, 77), Mullin, Jevons.

Not used: Moss, Bentley, Duffy, Wainwright, Davies, McStay.

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)

Attendance: 4,390 (including 180 visitors)