MATCH REPORT: Port Vale 0-1 Blackpool

MATCH REPORT: Nantwich Town 1-2 Blackpool

Nathan Delfouneso scored the only goal of the game just five minutes in to what was a tight, edgy affair at Vale Park.

It came after a Seasiders side featuring a number of trialists had beaten Nantwich Town 2-1 earlier in the day.

The Seasiders, just as they had done against Nantwich in the lunchtime kick off, took the lead with an early goal.

With just five minutes on the clock, Delfouneso raced through on goal - ignoring the offside appeals from the home fans - to coolly slot home past Scott Brown.

The linesman’s decision not to raise his flag enraged Port Vale boss Neil Aspin to such an extent he ran down from the director’s box - where he had been watching on from the stands - to launch a tirade of expletives at the referee’s assistant.

When the game did restart, the Valiants almost found an instant response as Luke Hannant lobbed a looping effort over the onrushing Mark Howard only for Curtis Tilt to clear off the line.

On 18 minutes, full back James Gibbons attempted to find the bottom corner with a shot on the volley but Mark Howard watched on as the effort sailed harmlessly wide.

Louis Dodds was the next man to go close for the home side, lashing a left-footed effort into the side netting after twisting and turning his way past a couple of players inside the box.

Port Vale kept up the pressure as they went in search of an equaliser, as Scott Quigley - playing against his parent club - looked to get a shot off at goal after some space opened up for him, but Blackpool managed to recover and crowd him out.

The hosts almost found a leveller from the resulting corner, as Tom Pope rose highest only to see his powerful header hit Quigley on the line, allowing Pool to clear their lines.

The opening half ended with a Port Vale trialist launching an ambitious effort from range which Howard collected comfortably.

The Seasiders went close to adding a second 10 minutes into the second half as Armand Gnanduillet clipped the outside of the post after turning his man inside the Port Vale box.

As is so often the case in pre-season friendlies, the game soon became a stop-start affair with a multitude of substitutes stopping the flow of the match.

Port Vale continued to push for an equaliser, but Pool kept them at bay with some superb defending - from in-demand centre back Curtis Tilt in particular.

Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons (Legge), Montano, Kay (Joyce), Hannant (Worrall), Rawlinson, Trialist (Tonge), Smith, Dodds, Quigley, Pope (Kanu)

Subs: Hornby, Pugh, Daniels, Vassell

Blackpool: Howard, Turton, Tilt, Heneghan, Bunney, Spearing, Taylor (Nottingham), Delfouneso (Thompson), O’Sullivan (O’Connor), Dodoo (McLaughlin), Gnanduillet (Sinclair-Smith)

Subs: Sims

Attendance: 841 (87 Blackpool)