IT'S A NIGHTMARE DAY FOR VALE ON THEIR ROAD TRIP...

PORT Vale were ripped to shreds by a rampant Bolton Wanderers side at the Toughsheet Stadium as Darren Moore's side were humbled 4-0.

- Clive Youlton

BEATEN: Ronan Curtis battles for the ball as Vale were heavily defeated on their visit to Bolton Wanderers.

This was a chastening result for Moore's men and it could have been far worse but for missed chances late on.

The small percentage of Vale fans who stayed until the final whistle were split between a section clapping the players and those who lambasted them.

It was Vale's biggest drubbing under Moore. It came after his biggest home defeat, 3-0 against Stockport County.

The result was a damaging one as there were wins for five teams around them - Northampton, Wycombe, Burton, Blackpool and Peterborough. It meant Moore's team finished the day secondbottom of League One on goal difference from Plymouth Argyle while there is a four-point gap to fifth-bottom Leyton Orient.

Whichever way you looked at it, it made for horrible viewing as a Vale fan once Bolton had scored their first.

The irony is they could have gone in front in the opening 25 minutes when Connor Hall had two headers saved by keeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe.

Moore made three changes to the side that beat Maldon & Tiptree in the FA Cup in what was supposed to have been a morale-booster.

The reality is, once Vale had conceded the first goal they were second best and just fell apart.

Back in the side came skipper Ben Garrity for George Hall, while Ruari Paton, having scored twice in the cup, was dropped to the bench as Jaheim Headley came in. Mo Faal was left out of the squad altogether and there was a return for Kyle John.

There was no place in the squad at all for Dajaunne Brown and Funso Ojo, while Ben Waine was dropped out of the 18 and there was still no sign of Jordan Shipley. Mitch Clark and Jordan Gabriel remain injured.