LITTLE CHRISTMAS CHEER AS VALE FANS VENT THEIR ANGER

PORT

- Clive Youlton

DOWNCAST: Devante Cole at the final whistle. pulled back by James Dornelly.

Vale were dealt a hammer blow as their League One plight worsened further against Peterborough United at Vale Park.There was little Christmas cheer in Burslem for the long-suffering home supporters who watched their team lose for the 11th time this season in 20 matches.

The 1-0 defeat saw Darren Moore's side move to eight points away from safety. Worse still was that, as well as Peterborough, other rivals Plymouth, Blackpool, and Exeter all won, while Burton got a point. Reading won 48 hours earlier.

The last time Vale won in the league was on September 27, 2-0 at Barnsley, while the last home league win was on September 20 against Mansfield Town.

Incredibly, that was when they last scored a home league goal as they have now failed to find the net in their last five League One matches at Vale Park.

It all adds up to a tale of woe, and the reaction at the final whistle from those Vale fans still left in the ground was an angry one.

As expected, Kyle John, George Byers and Funso Ojo were all out injured, but there was an unexpected recall for fit-again Mitch Clark who was in the starting XI along with other replacements Ryan Croasdale and Rhys Walters.

Clark naturally tired, but was his usual swashbuckling self, and while Croasdale and Walters were quiet in the match, when you don’t play for a few matches it's not easy being thrown straight back in while being expected to perform at your best.

Those three changes were enforced, and Dajuane Brown didn’t make the squad either after Moore revealed he was struggling at the end of the Luton match.

There were three recalls to the squad as Ronan Curtis returned, as did Jordan Shipley, while Ben Lomax was called up for his first league squad of the season, an indication of just how many injuries Moore has.