Port Vale 3 Notts County 2

Last updated : 17 September 2002 By Footymad Previewer

Port Vale won 3-2 at home to Notts County with Brett Angell netting the winner nine minutes from time.

The Valiants showed early pressure resulting in a quick goal. A free-kick from the right by Marc Bridge-Wilkinson found Angell at the back stick and his diving header made it 1-0 in the sixth minute.

It was soon cancelled out in the 25th minute when Danny Allsopp fired a low drive which Mark Goodlad parried only for Paul Bolland to pounce on and score from eight yards.

Quick breaks and good passing suited both sides with much the same happening in the second half.

Mark Stallard took advantage of a Matt Carragher mistake when he slipped allowing him to shoot. Goodlad again parried, but Allsopp finished into an empty net after 49 minutes.

Vale did not stop pushing and when Bridge-Wilkinson played a quick ball over the Notts defence to let Billy Paynter in, he finished into Stuart Garden's bottom corner from 12 yards to level at 2-2 in the 58th minutes.

The Valiants were not happy with a draw and in the 81st minute Michael Cummins hit a 20-yard drive which Garden had to push in the air and Angell ran in to net the rebound.

Vale boss Brian Horton was full of praise for his team: "I could not ask for more from the boys, everyone played good and showed a lot of credit after going behind. Many had a good game and I could not wish for a better striker than Brett Angell."

Bill Dearden, boss of County, did not defend their performance: "Poor defending cost us dear. We should have stopped two of the goals, to lose after going ahead is bad."