VALE WELL BEATEN AS LOWE HELPS COUNTY HIT THE TOP

PORT Vale were left firmly planted in League One's bottom four as they were largely outclassed and outfought while being brushed aside 3-0 by Dave Challinor's Stockport County.

- Clive Youlton

It was a second successive defeat for Darren Moore's side who have now gone four without a win.

Defensively in the first half, they were woeful while the midfield was nonexistent in a humiliating display.

In contrast, County roared to the top of the table with this triumph after the top three, Cardiff, Stevenage and Bradford, had all failed to pick up three points at the weekend.

It means Vale have picked up just 13 points from 14 matches this term in League One with only three wins to their name as they missed the chance to climb out of the relegation slots.

Darren Moore made four changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Wigan Athletic.

Out went Ben Heneghan, Ronan Curtis, George Hall and Dajaune Brown and in came Cameron Humphreys - back from injury - Marvin Johnson for his first start, Ryan Croasdale and Ruari Paton. Croasdale is the veteran of two promotions with Stockport and was missed after being dropped at Wigan but he was guilty of spurning big chances to score in this game. On the bench, Jaheim Headley was back from injury, while absent from the squad was injured trio Liam Gordon, Mitch Clark and Jordan Gabriel as well as Funso Ojo, Jordan Shipley, Ben Waine and Jack Shorrock who were left out again.

Heneghan and Brown were not only dropped from the team but the squad too.

After a remembrance service before kickoff, with both captains laying wreaths, the game got underway on a cold evening as the rain swept across Vale Park with a good deal of surface water visible on the turf.

Unbeaten in their last six league games, Stockport looked assured in possession as both teams felt each other out.