Port Vale vs Morecambe. Sky Bet League Two.
Vale ParkAttendance4,485.
Saturday 5 October 2019 20:32, UK
Captain Tom Pope ended his goal drought to fire Port Vale to a 3-1 win over 10-man Morecambe.
Pope scored twice - his first goals since the opening day - as Vale came from behind to end a three-game winless run in League Two.
The Shrimpers had to deal with a man disadvantage for almost an hour after Jordan Cranston lashed out at David Worrall in the 32nd minute.
John O'Sullivan put the visitors ahead after 18 minutes as his fine 25-yard curling effort nestled in the top corner.
Barry Roche kept Morecambe ahead with a fine save to tip Luke Joyce's effort wife.
Vale cranked up the pressure after Cranston was dismissed 13 minutes before the break, with Jake Taylor forcing Roche into another good save and David Amoo heading wide.
Three minutes after the interval Joyce opened his Vale account in style with a thunderous effort from the edge of the box.
Roche pulled off his best save of the day to deny Pope's placed shot on the hour.
But with 20 minutes left the Shrimpers' resistance was broken as Pope nodded in Worrall's cross at the back post.
And Pope doubled his tally a minute from time after beating his man and neatly firing past Roche.
