Easter Return for Pope Resurrects Vale’s Survival Chances
Port Vale made it four points out of six away at Crewe to ensure a successful Easter weekend against two of their relegation rivals.
Striker Tom Pope – returning from injury – made it 17 goals for the season after his 36th minute penalty cancelled out Ryan Wintle’s tap-in in the seventh minute.
Midfielder Anthony Kay put the Vale in control with a stunning long range effort, but the spoils were shared in stoppage time when Charlie Kirk fired an unstoppable low drive past visiting keeper Sam Hornby.
That equaliser was a blow for the sell out travelling fans, who were dreaming of back-to-back wins for the first time since the end of December after Fridays 2-1 victory over Chesterfield.
However, the point away at Gresty Road puts the Vale nine points clear of 23rd placed Chesterfield and within touching distance of Football League survival.
The win at home to Chesterfield was the Valiants’ first win of 2018 – ending a run of 14 games without a win – and it’s no surprise that it coincided with the return of a fully fit Tom Pope.
Pope had previously been playing through injury before needing treatment on a hernia in mid February, but during that time he failed to be as effective as he would have liked.
However the past two games have shown just how valuable a fully fit Tom Pope is to Port Vale – with the skipper being influential in helping the club pick up vital points in two relegation ‘six-pointers’.
In fact when he was taken off against Crewe after 84 minutes the Vale lost any kind of out-ball up top, and the home side were able to dominate the closing proceedings – ultimately grabbing the equaliser in dramatic fashion.
Not that the decision to take off the striker was the wrong one. Pope certainly did well to last as long as he did after such a long period out – playing the full game in a 10-man team against Chesterfield before the majority of the game against the Alex.
And if he can remain fit for the last five games of the season, Vale fans won’t need to rely on prayer anymore.
words Alex Bettany, D3D4 Port Vale correspondent
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