Hector Sam makes a case for Port Vale start.
The Sentinel News.
Port Vale new signing Hector Sam is making a strong case for a place in Martin Foyle's starting line-up on the opening day of the season after emerging as one of the successes of the weekend's Isle of Man tournament.
The former Wrexham striker took his competition tally to three goals when he scored twice in yesterday's 4-0 victory against the Island team after coming on as a 54th-minute substitute for fellow country-man Chris Birchall. Scoring against a team who looked poorer than any of Vale's pre-season opponents so far is not, in itself, a guarantee of selection.
But Sam's lively performances have given Foyle a lift as the manager contemplates problems elsewhere in his forward line.
Of his four strikers, only Sam and Nathan Lowndes were fit enough to play yesterday because Lee Matthews and Billy Paynter are suffering knee and thigh problems respectively.
Both have a chance of playing at Southend, but at least Sam's efforts are giving Foyle the strength in depth he lacked last season.
The Trinidad and Tobago international, who joined on a one-year contract last month after rejecting a new deal at the Racecourse Ground, says he is still only 80 per cent fit after back and groin problems.
But he expects to be fully fit for the big kick-off and has certainly given Foyle plenty of food for thought as he considers his plans for the game at Southend in 12 days.
After watching Sam ensure the scoreline gave at least some indication of Vale's dominance, Foyle said: "I was delighted with Hector. I thought he made some great runs with good movement, and he is a joy to work with.
"He has settled very quickly. He is a clever player. He is one that needs to be pushed and wants to be wanted, but I have no complaints about that at all."
Sam had scored Vale's opener in Saturday night's game against Carlisle, when he was also the only player to find the net in their penalty shoot-out defeat.
That result meant Vale have yet to reach the final of this tournament in five times of asking although, in the light of injuries, Foyle may have taken consolation in avoiding a far more competitive game against Oldham in yesterday's final.
Oldham had walloped the home team 7-0 on Saturday and Vale would have comfortably passed that score by half-time yesterday had they taken all their chances.
Foyle started with Chris Birchall up front with Lowndes, and the latter found the net after just 40 seconds.
Craig James found Mark Innes in the area and the left-midfielder drilled the ball across goal for Lowndes to bundle over the line.
The Isle of Man side were playing their fifth game in five days and simply couldn't keep pace with Vale's movement in the opening half hour as Foyle's side rained in shots on their goal.
It meant the busiest person at the stadium was a young lad given the task of patrolling the vast open space behind Stuart Fayle's goal.
He would no sooner have returned from another marathon journey to retrieve the ball before he would watch, hands on hips and cheeks blowing out, as another shot whizzed past him on its way to the town centre.
Foyle added: "In the first half, I thought we could have scored seven or eight.
"You have to get in the box to score, but we need that ruthlessness because last year we probably didn't score enough goals in certain games.
"These teams are hard to play against, with bumpy pitches and dry surfaces, but it is a question of doing things quickly and simply and getting in the box and wanting to score goals."
When Vale weren't shaving the post or bar, they were finding Fayle in inspired form. The keeper's best save arrived after just eight minutes when James's through ball released Lowndes, but the striker's thumping drive towards the top corner was brilliantly turned over by Fayle.
Sam doubled Vale's lead on 58 minutes when Dinning slid the ball through the Isel of Man defence. Fayle rushed from his line, but the striker kept his cool and side-footed the ball across the keeper and inside the far post. Joe Cardle has impressed throughout pre-season, showing equal ability on the right and left wings.
The youth-teamer, who played this game on the right, got the goal his efforts deserved on 64 minutes when Innes's shot was blocked and Cardle headed the rebound beyond Fayle's despairing dive.
The victory was completed in the final minute when Lowndes pulled the ball across to Sam and he swept it past the goakeeper.
TEAMS:
Port Vale: Goodlad, Donnelly, James, Sonner (Holmes 54), Pilkington, Rowland, Cardle, Dinning, Lowndes, Birchall (Sam 54), Innes.
Isle of Man: Fayle, Megson (Cain 73), Lace, Quayle, Cottier, Myers, Ringham, Feeney, Langridge (Cowin 66), Kelly (Farragher 31), Teare.
Stern John scores again, Ince injured.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Stern John continued his good preseason form with another goal but it was not enough to prevent Coventry City from going down 2-1 to Rushden and Diamonds on Sunday.
There was however cause for concern in the same match as Goalkeeper Clayton Ince was forced to go off on the stretcher after 9 minutes and taken to hospital. Reports indicated that he had suffered broken ribs but Ince confirmed on Sunday evening that X-rays had shown no broken ribs and he was on pain killers resting at home. The X-rays showed he suffered bruises and had fluid in the lungs but is expected to recover shortly.
“It’s not as bad as first thought and that’s good news,” Ince told TTFF Media. “It was a late challenge and at first it looked serious but I’m resting at home now and I will know about the injury when I return to the Doctor on Monday.”
Ince received a late tackle from Drewe Broughton in what was described as an ill-tempered match which saw Coventry fall behind when Greg Pearson put Rushden ahead. But John replied with a well taken header from Paul Watson’s cross to follow up his strike previously against Galway United.
Rushen took the lead and John almost drew it level when his shot went wide. But he then sent a glancing header home from Watson’s floated free kick on the half hour. With the rain coming down, Robert Page then scored a late own goal for the Rushden win.
In related news, goalie Shaka Hislop, now on trial with Crystal Palace saved a second half penalty to help the club to a 1-1 draw with Eintract Frankfurt in Germany on Saturday.
