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Steve Shaw reports from Griffin Park. POP megastar Robbie Williams was among the Griffin Park crowd but the Angels star could not inspire his beloved Port Vale to victory against League Two high-flyers Brentford.
The hosts took the lead in the dying moments of the first half when defender Karleigh Osborne headed home from a corner. Earlier in the half Vale keeper Joe Anyon kept the scores level by denying Bees striker Charlie Macdonald from the penalty spot.
However, Macdonald gained his revenge by hitting a late second goal for the hosts.
It was Vale’s eighth away defeat in the league this season.
There was drama in the Vale camp this morning when striker James Lawrie was taken to hospital after he was struck down by appendicitis.
The 18-year-old was earmarked for a wide midfield role before he was taken ill.
Boss Dean Glover made four changes from the starting line up that secured a hard-fought draw at Morecambe a fortnight ago.
Defender Paul Edwards and midfielder Dave Howland were suspended for picking up five bookings apiece.
Edwards’s left-back berth was filled by Lee Collins who switched from centre-half.
Luke Prosser replaced Collins at the heart of Vale’s defence, making his first start since the 3-1 home defeat by Gillingham on January 20.
Glover opted to switch from 4-4-2, to 4-5-1, as Marc Richards was unleashed as a lone striker. It was a welcome return for Richards who has fully recovered from a thigh injury.
Central midfielder Ross Davidson, sent off in the reverse fixture at Vale Park earlier in the season, came into the team, while strikers Danny Glover and Kyle Perry dropped to the bench.
Loan midfielder Adnan Ahmed lined up alongside Davidson to make his debut.
The home side came flying out of the traps and earned a penalty in the fifth minute, when Marvin Williams latched onto the ball on the edge of the box.
The powerful midfielder powered into the penalty area where he was hauled down by centre-half Prosser, prompting referee Steven Cook to point to the spot.
Brentford’s top scorer Macdonald stepped up to take the penalty, but his low effort was brilliantly saved by Anyon who dived to his right to palm the ball to safety.
A minute later, midfielder Sam Wood stormed into the left channel before blazing over from 20 yards.
Vale were penned into their own half during the early stages as they struggled to deal with Brentford’s power and pace.
Davidson was booked in the 10th minute for a late challenge on fellow midfielder Marcus Bean.
Soon after, Prosser denied MacDonald a free close-range header on goal by clearing Wood’s dangerous centre.
Defender Osborne’s header cleared the bar from the resulting corner.
In the 18th minute, Anyon came to Vale’s rescue again by beating away a fierce 20-yarder from Williams.
Woods had a shot blocked on 20 minutes. The ball bounced invitingly to Macdonald, but Collins threw his body into the line of fire to block the striker’s acrobatic eight-yard half-volley.
Moments later, Prosser was booked for chopping down Macdonald.
On the half hour mark, Vale finally managed a shot on goal. Although midfielder Scott Brown barely threatened the target with a 25-yard shot that sailed high and wide.
However, Brown adjusted the radar and his 25-yard power-drive three minutes later, was well kept out by an agile save from Bees keeper Ben Hamer.
Vale almost took an unlikely lead in the 35th minute from Brown’s corner. The ball fell to Simon Richman whose eight-yard volley appeared to cannon off fellow Vale midfielder Louis Dodds.
Five minutes before the break Bean drove his edge-of-the-box shot over, meeting a right-flank cross from former Stoke defender John Halls.
But with seconds of the first half remaining Osborne broke the deadlock as he did in Brentford’s 3-0 success at Vale Park earlier in the campaign.
The onrushing centre-half met O’Connor’s corner and guided his close-range header beyond a helpless Anyon.
Brentford continued to dominate at the start of the second period, without managing to create many telling chances.
In the 53rd minute, Wood launched a long diagonal ball but striker Jordan Rhodes was unable to apply the final touch.
Left-back Dickson was enjoying space down the flank and his 53rd minute delivery was met by Macdonald who could only flick his header into the arms of Anyon.
Not long after the hour mark Rhodes’s 10-yard header went wide following more good work from Dickson down the wing.
On 69 minutes, Rhodes again missed the target with a header, this time connecting with Macdonald’s right-wing cross.
Rhodes set his sights on goal yet again, in the 73rd minute, when the home side won a free kick on the edge of the box. But the striker’s set-piece dipped over the bar.
Glover made his first change of the afternoon, on 76 minutes, as Ahmed was replaced by Rob Taylor who took his place on the left.
The Vale boss reverted back to 4-2-2 which allowed Dodds to partner Richards in a more advanced position.
In the 78th minute, Halls cut inside from the right to deliver a wicked low ball into the danger area. Anyon parried the ball up in the air, and with Brentford’s players lurking, full-back Anthony Griffith did well to clear his lines.
Soon after, Rhodes came agonisingly close to converting MacDonald’s driven centre before Wood fired over.
With seven minutes remaining, Brentford’s loan defender Alan Bennett had a penalty appeal turned down after claiming his drive was blocked by Griffith’s hand.
Macdonald wrapped the game up in the 86th minute when he claimed his 16th goal of the campaign.
Substitute David Hunt cut inside from the right and after turning inside Anyon he laid the ball on a plate the Macdonald. And the striker made no mistake in firing his 10-yard effort into the net although his shot took a deflection en route.
Match Stats
Brentford: Hamer, Halls, Bennett, Osborne, Dickson, Williams (Williams), Bean (Hunt, 83), O’Connor, Wood, MacDonald, Rhodes (Elder, 98).
Not used: Poole, Johnson.
Port Vale: Anyon, Griffith, Prosser, Owen, Collins, Richman, Davidson, Ahmed (Taylor, 76), Brown, Dodds, Richards
Not used: Martin, Perry, Thompson, Glover.
Referee: Steven Cook (Surrey)
Attendance: 4,702 (including 223)
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