Port Vale 2 - 1 Notts County

Notts County could not capitalise and build on their three-game unbeaten run today at Vale Park, as Port Vale defeated the Magpies 2-1. The first half saw the home side dominate the game and take the lead through a disputed penalty by Jennison Myrie-Williams, before Ronan Murray equalised with a great goal on the stroke of half time.

A peculiar refereeing decision on the 79th minute, the second one of the game, saw a second penalty gifted to Port Vale, and converted by Gavin Tomlin, which would prove decisive. Shaun Derry was forced to omit Gary Liddle and Callum Ball from the starving eleven, both having suffered injuries against Bristol City last Saturday.

Mark Fotheringham and Ronan Murray came on in their place, while Mustapha Dumbuya returned just in time to replace Kieron Freeman, recalled by Derby County on Christmas Eve.

Port Vale were on top in the opening stages of the game, Lee Hughes making a nuisance of himself within just a few minutes. In the 6th minute, Carl Dickinson lashed in a great cross which was seized by Bartosz Bialkowski before Hughes could get to it.

The Pole would have to be on his toes again just a few minutes later, as a through ball by Tomlin fell to the ex-Notts striker. Again, the keeper saved before he could get his foot to it.

The first Notts chance fell to Morgan Fox on ten minutes, but his header cleared the bar.

On 24 minutes, a Port Vale ball was judged to have been handled by Andre Boucaud in the box, and a penalty was given to the home side. Williams made no mistake from the spot, giving his side the lead.

After a bit of a lull, the home side would continue to threaten, as Dickinson and Williams came close on several occasions.

Notts had been struggling for the majority of the half, but solace came in the form of Murray on 43 minutes. Isolated and rather ineffective up until that point, he lashed in a shot from the edge of the box which beat Sam Johnson. And so it was 1-1 on the stroke of half time.

The first chance of the second half fell to the home side, as Williams' free kick flew over, but on 52 minutes, a great spell from Notts saw Jamal Campbell-Ryce fire a dangerous cross right across the Vale goal, desperately deflected by a defender and out for a corner. Boucaud's shot from the corner was saved, however.

As the game opened up in the second half, JCR had a good chance saved by Johnson, while Boucaud was once again thwarted by the Vale keeper on 58.

The home side's attempts would get more and more dangerous, but Bart's saves would get better each time too, as he pulled out some majestic stops to thwart Tomlin more than once. Tom Pope also came very close with a left footed strike from the centre of the box.

Sadly, despite the end-to-end action which could have seen the game go either way, another controversial penalty was given against Notts on 79, when Tomlin was judged to have been brought down by Dumbuya. As Hughes and Williams had been substituted, Tomlin took the penalty himself, and made it 2-1.

Notts tried desperately to come back into the game, but by this point, had been ground down by the home side's overly physical nature and refereeing decisions, and so the game would end 2-1.

The result sees the Magpies slip to 23rd on 18 points, level with bottom side Crewe. The Railwaymen, however, have a game in hand.