an extremely entertaining game at Port Vale which was well worth the 490 mile round trip through some interesting weather. First visit to vale park for me and the son and we were surprised just how much bigger the playing surface is than HP's but this obviously worked to our advantage as we managed to get quite a lot of joy down flanks. We started brightly and looked much the better team right up until they scored their first which was as a result of a dubious foul with the free kick definitely taken from the wrong place but not a lot Cole could do really. Although we continued to play very well (including hitting the post) they soon popped with a second following some indifferent defending by Maxine Blanchard and Berry. At 2-0 it was looking like a classic case of the lower division team being the better side but punished by clinical finishing from the team from the higher league- nevertheless we kept pressing right up to half time. Second half started much the same with two good chances in the first three minutes. Very little from vale and it was no surprise when RR slotted home for yet another goal. We pressed and pressed and ended up really battering them 2-2 and very nearly grabbed the winner when Gurrieri hit the post in the dying minutes. Nearly 600 green army there who easily outsang the home fans. A fully deserved result and high quality performance, probably the best i've seen from the greens since the heady days of the championship. I was going to give the Motm to the whole team because it was a genuine team performance, but by fate met Andres Gurrieri in the service station on the way back- he had clearly really enjoyed playing in the match and is such a nice bloke- stopped and had a chat for a few minutes and signed an autograph- He is a great ambassador for the club and appreciates the fans , as well as being a pretty good player. So, my MOTM goes to him! looking forward to the replay and who knows, a potentially winnable match against Brighton.
You've done well to get back from that distance and post this lyndhurst. Was the wind behind you? I know it's downhill....... I'm at a bit of a loss with Argyle at the minute. I don't quite get where this form has come from if I'm honest. It really is promotion form and yet they are not hammering anyone. This reminds me of the Pullis era where we never looked attractive but were damned hard to beat. The difference in play to when we were regularly getting beat is minimal with the only difference being we can find the net. Thanks for the report anyway and I am a little surprised to see we did so well. It didn't seem like we were unlucky when I heard we were 2 down yet you think we were and so do a couple of others I've read reports from. That's the consistent bit.
Good for you Lyndhurst!....Argyle very unlucky not to go through as could have had 5/6 goals, hope it's the same in replay.....if we keep up this form and get through, Brighton should be a corker!...well done Argyle!
not really sensible- got there early so managed a decent parking spot which meant we were able to get back on the motorway by 5.40pm. As you say, downhill all the way at a steady aquaplaning 70, reasonably clear roads once south of Birmingham and a fairly rapid burger stop, got us home just before 10pm. I suspect those on the coaches may have been somewhat later.
I see the replay is on the Tuesday next week. Suspect if the weather is decent then a good few will turn out for this one but I bet P Vale won't bring 600 or anywhere near it down here. A win on Saturday would help with the home contingent.
