VALIANTS CAN'T HACKETT AS AWAY TRIP ENDS IN DEFEAT...

THERE was plenty of effort and spirit from Port Vale but it didn't prevent an eighth League One game without a win as they remain rock bottom of the table.

- Clive Youlton

The 1-0 defeat away to Lincoln City saw Darren Moore's side make it a six league matches on the trot without scoring a goal.

It was their 10th defeat from 18 games and they have scored just 11 goals.

There was more unrest from visiting fans after the final whistle and it's difficult to know where the club go from here having backed their manager in the days before the game.

Vale are now eight points behind 19th-placed Burton.

Under-fire Moore made three changes to the team that lost against Plymouth Argyle as he recalled two players he had largely ignored in the starting XI.

Jayden Stockley replaced Ruari Paton for only his second league start of the season, the first coming on the opening day, while Funso Ojo was in for his first league start since August in place of Rhys Walters. Ronan Curtis was preferred to Jaheim Headley.

Headley was dropped from the squad altogether, as was Ryan Croasdale. George Byers took Croasdale's place on the bench. Mo Faal was the other squad returnee but there was no room for Jordan Shipley while Liam Gordon, Jordan Gabriel, Mitch Clark and Marvin Johnson remain injured.

Vale had lost eight out of their last 12 league games at Lincoln - and that sorry statistic was extended.

Vale keeper Joe Gauci was called into action early on from left-back Adam Reach as the home team snapped into action from the off.

Lincoln are one of the best pressing sides in the division but Vale did work the ball well when Kyle John fired in a low cross that was cut out by Reach in front of Stockley.

George Hall, a plus on the day for Vale, had to get in the way of midfielder Ben House's fierce drive and Freddie Draper got in behind Vale's defence too easily from Reeco Hackett's searching pass but the striker rapped his effort wide when he should have hit the target.