Port Vale skipper Marc Richards snatched an injury-time winner to secure a desperately needed 2-1 home victory over Morecambe.

Skipper grabs win

Port Vale skipper Marc Richards snatched an injury-time winner to secure a desperately needed 2-1 home victory over Morecambe. Vale had lost five of their previous six home games and the plucky visitors were on the verge of claiming a deserved share of the spoils. But Richards pounced to strike the ball into an empty net after a superb low cross from Luke Rodgers had taken visiting goalkeeper Barry Roche out of the equation. Rodgers had broken the deadlock in the 80th minute when he capitalised on a slip by Jim Bentley to beat Roche with a well-placed shot. But the visitors levelled within two minutes as centre-back Bentley atoned for his error by burying a header from Craig Stanley's left-wing corner. Vale had edged an entertaining first half when Louis Dodds and Richards struck the woodwork. A 20-yard volley from Dodds was tipped against the crossbar by Roche in the 26th minute and Richards fired against a post seconds before the interval.